The Peak
by Steph Malfoy
Summary: [IMPORTANT UPDATE!][complete]Ty Baldwin is a badboy and a partier... but there is a whole other side to him that he doesn't know. An accident took everything away, will it take another to bring it all back? [AU after 13]
1. Two years ago

**Author's Note**

This is just a random idea for a story I had, I'm not giving up on Commander In Chief in fact I was working on the next chapter as I thought of this and just decided to write it down. I don't know how good it will be but I hope you like it! Review!

**Summary: **AU of some sorts, basically the same as the original books up until Ty's accident with some changes. Brad Baldwin, a lawyer, is away on a business trip when he receives the news that his son was involved in an accident at Heartland. Without alerting anyone at Heartland Brad transfers Ty to the Mayo Clinic Hospital (a/n: it's a real hospital, I've been there,) in Arizona as soon as he returns from his trip. Brad moves his family out to Scottsdale, Arizona because a big firm offered him a job there. When Ty wakes up from his coma he gives up his life with horses and settles into his new home and school (he never dropped out and he's 15, Amy is 14) and his new role on the football team. Two years later when Ty is 17 and Amy is 16 Amy goes to Arizona for his sister, Lou's wedding to Scott Trewin, Heartland's vet. A few days before the wedding Amy is at the mall with Soroya, who Lou had invited, when a group of rowdy teenagers passes them, one looks strangely familiar—like a ghost from the past.

**Disclaimer: **Everything recognizable belongs to Lauren Brooke.

**My version of a page break**

**Chapter 1**

_Two years ago_

The barn roof creaked ominously as the two teenagers walked into the shaky structure.

"Ty did you hear that?" Amy asked nervously as she shinned her flashlight up into the rafters where you could clearly see the large tree that had crushed half of the barns roof.

"Yeah but this is our only chance to get Candy and Dylan out of here," Ty told her as he made his way over to Dylan's stall where the big bay was pacing the small space nervously.

"But Ty shouldn't we wait for the emergency vehicles to get here?"

"The roof might not hold out that long," Ty reasoned calmly as he shinned his flashlight into Dylan's stall. The bright light startled the young jumper more than ever and he reared up, striking the walls in fear. The old, damaged barn seemed to shudder at the impact.

"Ty please!" Amy pleaded with him desperately. "At least wait until Grandpa has the emergency generator turned on!"

The roof groaned again. "We don't have time," Ty remarked as he looked up into tree that was hanging above his head. "Dylan and Candy are right under it, we have to get them out. Now," he added firmly. "I'll get Dylan," he said as he put his hand on the latch of Dylan's stall. "You get Candy."

Amy reluctantly walked over to the mare's stall knowing that Ty was too stubborn to argue with. Ty had started helping out at Heartland 2 years ago when he was 13 and since than they had become best friends. They knew each other inside and out.

"Whoa boy. Easy boy," she heard Ty's calm voice come from the stall next to her and he slowly entered with his hands held in front of chest, he was taking slow steps towards to quivering young horse.

Amy looked into Candy's stall. The black mare was standing in the corner nervously her big brown eyes reflecting her fear. Amy put her hand on the latch and slowly pulled it back.

"Hey Dy," Ty said affectionately to Dylan. He'd worked a lot with Dylan since he had been sent to Heartland by the famous show jumper, Nick Halliwell, to cure him of him clumsiness. Dylan would have already been back home if he hadn't contracted a bought of the Equine Flu that was currently spreading around Heartland. "We're gonna get you oughta here and get you some nice warm blankets. How's that sound?" Ty put his hand gently on the gelding's neck and waited for him to accept his touch. He quickly did and when he did Ty slipped his hand inside his halter and slowly turned him around and led him to the stall door. Ty swung the half door open as Amy led Candy out into the aisle.

Candy stumbled on her way out of the stall and bumped into the wooden side. Candy jerked back on her lead rope and shied away as the rough wood connected with her side. "Whoa Candy whoa," Amy exclaimed desperately to the mare as she pranced around uncomfortably.

"Are you okay?" Ty asked her sounding concerned and she turned to see him peering out of the neighboring stall.

Amy smiled shakily at him and replied, "Yeah I'm fine."

Ty nodded and turned his attention back to Dylan who refused to move through the opening of the stall. "Come on buddy, nothing's going to hurt you…" Ty was cut short as Dylan gave a high pitched squeal as a block of wood fell from the roof overhead and landed squarely on his back. "Whoa!" Ty exclaimed and tried to grab Dylan's halter but Dylan barged past him sending him slamming into the still open stall door.

Startled by Dylan's noise Candy became more and more agitated. "TY!" Amy screamed as she tried to sooth the antsy mare. "Are you okay?"

Ty groaned and rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah I'm okay."

"I…" Amy began but stopped when a loud creak and groan echoed off the barns walls. "Ty we have to get out of here," Amy said slowly and nervously. That last creak was louder than any other there had been and it sounded like the barns roof would give away at any minute.

Ty opened him mouth to respond but he never got the chance. A loud clap of thunder sounded over head and the sky turned bright through the damaged roof. Dylan screamed and struck the wall behind him with his back hooves. The structure of the barn swayed and the beams started to fall. Ty was just getting up and tried to move out of the way but he wasn't fast enough.

Amy screamed as everything in sight was engulfed with falling beams. Candy's lead rope fell from her hands as Amy ran forward panicky, "Ty!" she yelled out looking around. She hoped that Ty would emerge from one of the stalls laughing like it was just a big joke. She wouldn't even get mad at him like she normally did when he did something like this, she'd even laugh when he yelled out, "Amy Fleming you've just been punked!" she'd probably throw her arms around him in relief.

The next thing Amy new something hit her in the head hard and she fell to the cold, wet floor bellow, immediately unconscious.

**My version of a page break**

When Amy's eyes fluttered open a few hours later she was confused. Where was she? What just happened? Why did her head feel so funny? She looked around at the totally white room in confusion. Grandpa and Lou rushed over to her side as soon as they saw she was awake.

They each gave her a crushing hug. When they let go Amy slowly sat up in the strange bed and immediately felt dizzy and lightheaded. She put her hand to her forehead and felt a large, puffy bandage covering it. "Where am I?" she asked in confusion.

"You're in the hospital," Lou informed her. "Do you remember what happened?" Amy was silent and Lou continued, "The barn roof collapsed while you and… while you and Ty were inside, do you remember?" Sadness filled her aqua blue eyes.

The events swirled through Amy's head but she managed to piece them together into chronological order. "Oh my god are Candy and Dylan okay? Ty had Dylan; I had Candy, are they alright? Did they get out of the barn safe?" she looked around the room, "Did Ty go home already?"

"Amy," Lou silenced her.

"What?" Amy asked questioningly.

"Ty is…" Lou trailed off as tears slid down her rosy cheeks.

"Ty's what?" Amy asked nervously feeling as though something bad was coming.

"Amy," grandpa continued for Lou. "I need you to listen to me. Ty never came out of the barn last night, we found you lying on the ground. We figured that maybe he had gone back outside and was in another barn but we couldn't find him Amy. When the rescue workers and ambulance got there they… they found Ty's body in the rubble."

"No!" Amy gasped. "Is he… is he…" Amy trailed off; she couldn't bring herself to say it.

"He's not dead Amy but…" Amy sighed in relief. That meant he had to be okay, right? "Amy I need you to listen to me closely," Grandpa said and Amy turned back to him surprised at the pain filled expression on his face making him look older and more worn than he actually was. "Once we got here the paramedics rushed Ty to the ER. He had a lot of internal bleeding but the surgeons managed to stop that."

"Can we go see him?" Amy asked. "We could get him some flowers. I know he doesn't really like…"

"Amy I wasn't finished. Ty has a broken leg and a broken neck. Either when he fell or when the roof collapsed he hit his head and has suffered incredible trauma to the head. You took a plank to the head and have been out for two days, Ty hasn't yet regained consciousness. Amy, to put it simply Ty is in a coma."

"Well when's he going to wake up?"

"They don't know Amy," Lou put in wearily. "There's no way to tell. It could be tomorrow or the next day or in a week." Lou looked at Amy critically, "But Amy, it's important for you to know, he might not wake up at all."

Tears slid down Amy's face as she listened to what Lou said. She brought her knees up to her chest and buried her face in the blankets and sobbed. Lou came and sat next to her running a comforting hand in circles along her back. "It's not your fault," she said soothingly, "You couldn't have done anything.

This only increased Amy's sobs, "Yes I could have! I heard the roof creak I should have called him back!"

"You know how stubborn Ty is Amy," grandpa said.

"But I could have convinced him!" Amy wailed.

Grandpa and Lou held her and tried to sooth her as she cried. After about 15 minutes Amy's sobs quieted a bit and she picked her head up. Her face was red and her eyes were puffy and bloodshot. "Can… can we go see him?" she asked quietly.

Lou and grandpa looked at each other. "Well the doctor has to check you first to make sure you're okay but…" Lou stopped uncertainly. "If the doctor says you're up to it than you can see him."

Amy nodded; the tears welled up in her eyes again and threatened to spill over the edges.

For the next 20 minutes Lou and grandpa filled her in on the horses. Candy and Dylan had both managed to get out okay, which calmed Amy a little. The doctor finally arrived, walking into the room briskly in his white lab coat, stethoscope around his neck and clip board tucked under his arm. When he saw that Amt was sitting up in the hospital bed he smiled widely and said, "Oh good you're awake!" he checked his chart before introducing himself to Amy, "Hi I'm Doctor Rothstein," he stuck out his hand and shook Amy's firmly. "How are you feeling Amy?"

"Um okay I guess," Amy responded quietly.

"Well I'm just going to give you a little checkup so we can see if you're good so we can get you out of here okay?"

"Sure," Amy replied. Doctor Rothstein checked Amy's heart beat and all of the various machines she was hooked to.

Doctor Rothstein looked up and smiled, "Well everything looks good here. I recommend that you lie down when you get home, you may be still be a little dizzy."

Amy looked over at Lou urging her with her expression to ask the question she wanted an answer to. "Doctor Rothstein?" Lou said.

"Yes?"

"Amy was wondering if she could go and visit Ty?"

Doctor Rothstein paused from whatever he was writing and set his clipboard on a table. He looked up grimly, "Ah of course. Ty's parents are with him now but I don't see why you couldn't go see him for a few minutes. You're friends right?"

Amy only managed to nod her head as her eyes filled with tears again.

"Here," Lou said quickly, thrusting a pile of something at Amy. "I brought you some clothes."

"Thanks Lou," Amy replied weakly.

"The bathroom is right over there," Doctor Rothstein said pointing to a door on the other side of the room. "You can get changed in there."

Amy slowly pushed back the covers to reveal her hospital gown. She slowly swung her legs over the side if the bed and carefully stood up. She felt immediately lightheaded and even dizzier than before. After her head cleared and she could see straight again she picked her clothes and walked unsteadily to the bathroom. Once in the bathroom she sat down on the closed lid of the toilet and put her head in her hands. Finally she was able to slip off the hospital gown and put on the underwear, jeans, t-shirt, socks, sweatshirt and shoes Lou had brought her. She looked in the mirror and brushed her long, light brown hair as best she could. Once she was finished in the bathroom she made to open the door but stopped when she heard Lou, grandpa and Doctor Rothstein talking outside.

"Is there any change in his condition doctor?" Grandpa asked.

"No," Doctor Rothstein answered, "But if he makes it through the rest of the week than he should have a good chance of pulling through. How good of friends were they?" he asked referring to Amy and Ty's relationship.

"Well," Lou started, "Ty started helping us around Heartland, my families horse farm, about two years ago so they're pretty close."

That was all it took for the tears to start flowing again for Amy. She felt guilty, guilty that she was here wake, walking, talking when Ty couldn't do any of that… _maybe he never will_ a voice whispered inside her head. Ty was her best friend, sometimes they were even closer than Amy and Soroya, she needed him to be with her. He was the one who had saved Heartland while she was still mourning her mother's death. Heartland needed Ty… Amy needed Ty.

There was a rap on the door, "Amy?" Lou asked loudly. "Are you okay in there?"

"Um yeah!" Amy called back, whipping her tears away with the sleeve of her sweatshirt. "I'll be right out."

Amy quickly washed off her face, trying her best to make it look like she hadn't just been crying her eyes out. After a minute she slowly opened the door and walked back over to Lou, grandpa and Doctor Rothstein.

Her grandpa opened his arms to Amy and Amy rushed into them, burying her head in his shoulder, breathing in the familiar, comforting sent of his flannel shirt. Jack's arms closed around her and held her tightly, "I'm so glad you're okay," he whispered into her hair.

"So you can follow me, I'll take you to Ty's room," Doctor Rothstein said once grandfather and granddaughter broke apart.

Amy, Lou and Jack followed Doctor Rothstein down white halls until he finally stopped in front of a door that looked just like all the others but inside held someone very close to Amy. The doctor opened the door and ushered them inside. The room looked just like the one she had just come from. Lying on the bed was Ty, he was hooked to a bunch a different machines that were silently doing their job of monitoring his heart rate, blood pressure, feeding him and doing a lot of other things. Ty was deathly pale and there was a big neck brace around his neck. Ty's mom, Lisa, was sitting by her son's side clutching his hand and looking at him in despair. She didn't look like she'd slept for the past few days. Facing the window with his back turned to them was Brad, Ty's dad. He was talking on a black RAZR and was wearing an expensively tailored suit, he'd probably just gotten back form that business trip to Arizona that Ty had told Amy about.

Brad was talking loudly and Amy was able to hear what he was saying even though none of it made sense or even registered to her. "Get the helicopter here as soon as possible… two days?... Okay that's great…" he turned around and saw the room's new arrivals, "I've got to go, see you soon," he snapped the phone shut without waiting for a reply from whoever he'd been talking to. "Oh… hello Amy, Jack, Lou," Brad acknowledged them.

"Hello Brad," Jack greeted.

"Here to see Ty?" Brad asked facing Amy.

Amy just nodded; it was the best she could manage, with her eyes still glued to Ty's still body lying in the white bed, under the white blankets in the white room.

"Oh hello dear," Lisa turned to face her. Ty's mom had always seemed more accepting of Amy and of Heartland than Ty's dad ever had. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm okay," Amy answered. She wanted to move forward to Ty, to hold his hand, to see his face but she was rooted to her spot near the door.

Doctor Rothstein stepped forward and said, "I'll just go ahead and check on Ty." He checked all the readings on the machines and marked them all down on his clipboard. After he checked the last monitor he stood up with a shake of his head.

"Has anything changed doctor?" Lisa asked frantically practically hovering over Doctor Rothstein's shoulder the whole time he was taking the readings.

"I'm afraid not, everything's the same," Doctor Rothstein replied.

"Are you sure?" Lisa asked hysterically, tears brimming in her soft brown eyes as she looked down at the still figure of her son. "Nothings changed? Not even something _small_?" she asked, her voice filled with hope.

Brad came up behind her and put and arm around his wife's shoulders.

"I'm sorry," Doctor Rothstein said again. "I'll come back in a couple of hours but everything's the same for now."

"Thank you doctor," Brad said as he tried to comfort his sobbing wife.

"I'm here to help," Doctor Rothstein said easily. "Why don't you go down to the cafeteria to get something to eat?" he suggested.

"That would be nice," Brad answered and tried to steer Lisa away from the bed but she refused to move. "Come on honey you need to eat something. Ty will be okay, we'll only be five minutes." Lisa surrendered and allowed herself to be led out of the room.

"If you don't have any questions than I'll leave you to your visit," Doctor Rothstein said.

"Um," Amy said uncertainly. "Will he… will he remember anything when he wakes up?"

"It varies with all coma patients. Some remember everything, some remember something's and some remember nothing."

"So he might not remember Heartland? Or… me?" Amy asked sadly.

"It's impossible to say what the effects the coma will have on patients. There is no medical technology available that lets us determine that kind of information."

"Okay," Amy said softly, praying beyond hope that Ty wouldn't forget her or Heartland. The fact that he might brought tears to her eyes yet again. "Can he hear us?"

"Again we cannot say some coma patients wake up and say they were aware of everything happening around them and others wake up and tell us they weren't aware of anything. You should talk to him though; tell him what's going on in your life or at Heartland. Now if there are no more questions I will leave you to have some privacy."

"Thank you for all the help doctor," Jack said sincerely.

"I'm happy to help. I'll see you in about a week to check on that head okay Amy?" Amy nodded in response and than with their final goodbyes Doctor Rothstein walked out of the room.

Amy walked forward slowly until she was right in front of Ty's bed. She knelt down on the floor next to him and took a hold of the hand that was lying on top of the blankets. As she looked down at his peaceful, familiar face she felt fresh tears spill down her face. Lou came and sat on the chair next to Amy and put a comforting hand on her sister's shoulder.

"He'll be okay Amy, you'll see. Soon you'll both be back at Heartland and he'll be goofing off just like he always is."

"I hope so…" Amy said softly watching the rhythmic movement the blanket made up and down with every small breath Ty took.

"You have to keep up hope," Lou told her. "Be positive."

That was hard for Amy to do when her best friend was lying in the hospital and she didn't know if he'd ever wake up. Suddenly a strong desire to hear him laugh or see him smile filled her body.

"I'm sorry Ty," Amy whispered softly so that no one could hear her. "I'm sorry that this happened to you but please _please_ wake up soon. Heartland needs you Ty… _I_ need you…"

**My version of a page break**

_Two days later_

Two days later Amy made her way through the hospitals front entrance on her way to see Ty. She hadn't been able to come yesterday because she was helping with the horses at Heartland and the cleaning up from the storm. This time she brought flowers for Ty, a bouquet of an assortment of different types of flowers in gold's, reds, oranges and yellows, they reminded Amy of the sun and of all the times they'd spent outside together or going on trail rides in the bright sunlight.

Lou had dropped Amy off and left her to go up to Ty's room while she parked the car in the parking garage.

Amy looked around wondering where to go. She walked over to the reception desk, "Excuse me?" she said hesitantly to the lady who was behind the counter doing something on the computer.

The woman looked up and smiled brightly, she was in her middle ages and had a kind, motherly face. Her long hair was pulled into a bun behind her head and she was wearing hospital scrubs that had different Looney Toons characters on the top and sea green pants. "Can I help you dear?" she asked Amy. "Are you lost?"

"Um yeah, sorry."

"It's no problem. Where do you need to be?"

"I was going to go visit my friend, Ty Baldwin," she told the lady whose name tag said 'Amanda.'

"Okay hold on just a sec while I look up what room he's in," she said and turned back to her computer and began tapping on the keyboard. "Hmmm…" she said after a moment, her eyebrows furrowed. "What did you say his name was again sweetie?"

"Ty Baldwin."

She tapped on the keyboard again, "Is that his full name?"

"Well his whole first name is Tyler…" Amy said uncertainly wondering what the problem was.

"Can you spell his last name for me?" she asked after a minute.

"Um sure, it's B-A-L-D-W-I-N," Amy spelled out for her.

"I'm sorry hon but there's no Baldwin in this hospital…"

**A/n: **So what did you think? It will get better and I'll try to update regularly. Review!


	2. Flamen's and Treebin's

**Authors Note**

Okay so I'm glad you liked the last chapter and thanks for the reviews! I don't know how much I like this chapter but I hope its okay. Review!

If you're wondering why I chose Arizona for where Ty moves I chose it because even though I live in Philly I have a house in Scottsdale, in a development called 'The Preserve' if any of you live in AZ you might know where it is, and I REALLY want to move there. And my mom and step-dads wedding was in AZ at a restaurant called SASSI, it's at the bottom of Pinnacle Peak, so that's why Lou is having her wedding in AZ.

**Important: **I have to add something to the summary: Ty is not going to have total memory loss. He remembers a lot of his life from before the accident it's just the things having to do with horses and Heartland and Amy are foggy and seem more like a dream to him, not reality. The title has been changed to 'Photograph'. You will soon find out why!

**_REVISED_ summary: **AU of some sorts, basically the same as the original books up until Ty's accident with some changes. Brad Baldwin, a lawyer, is away on a business trip when he receives the news that his son was involved in an accident at Heartland. Without alerting anyone at Heartland Brad transfers Ty to the Mayo Clinic Hospital (a/n: it's a real hospital, I've been there,) in Arizona as soon as he returns from his trip. Brad moves his family out to Scottsdale, Arizona because a big firm offered him a job there. When Ty wakes up from his coma he has slight amnesia but is able to recall most everything from his previous life but there is one part that is still unclear to him, it seems more like a dream. Ty gives up the life he can hardly remember having and settles into his new home and school (he never dropped out and he's 15, Amy is 14) and his new role on the football team. Two years later when Ty is 17 and Amy is 16 Amy goes to Arizona for his sister, Lou's, wedding to Scott Trewin, Heartland's vet. A week or so before the wedding Lou, Scott, Matt, Soroya and Amy go for a hike at Pinnacle Peak where they run into a group of teenagers. One catches Amy's attention, there is something about him that reminds her so much off Ty, her once best friend who disappeared from the hospital two years ago, but he doesn't act anything like the old Ty used to and doesn't seem to remember her.

**Disclaimer: **everything recognizable belongs to Lauren Brooke.

**Photograph**

**Chapter 2**

_Two years later, Scottsdale, Arizona _

"Great game last night Ty!" a tall, brunette called out to the teenager who was striding confidently across the school yard of Scottsdale Academy.

Ty turned and started walking backwards as he faced the girl and her group of admiring friends. He waved and grinned widely, his green eyes held their ever present mischievous glint. "Thanks!"

As Ty walked towards his friends he received many greetings from his fellow students of Scottsdale Academy. Ty was a junior, the quarterback on the football team and worshipped like a god among the rest of the school. If his amazing football skills didn't win you over than his insanely good looks surely would. Ty's dark brown hair was cut in the 'skater' style and was constantly falling over his eyes so he'd have to push it back but you could not miss the strikingly green eyes underneath the hair. He was tall, 6' 3", tanned, lean and muscular. His face was perfectly chiseled, like a work of art.

Ty continued walking backwards and in mid sentence he felt hands on his back. "Yo man! You're gonna walk into a cactus!" Ty's best friend, Mick Laurence, exclaimed. Mike was a wide receiver on the Scottsdale Coyotes. He was well built and tall, 6'1" only two inches shorter than Ty, with tan skin from the year round sun, dirty blonde hair and navy blue eyes.

Ty turned around and noticed that he was, in fact, rather close to a big saguaro cactus. Ty grinned his trademark smile, half amused and half mischievous or more amused. His green eyes lit up like emeralds under a light at a jeweler. "What's up?" he asked casually, exactly like he hadn't almost walked into a pointy, spike laden cactus.

Mick shook his head, "Man you're so weird."

Ty grinned and casually put his hands in the pockets of his uniform khaki pants. The Scottsdale Academy's uniform consisted of a pair of khakis, a white button down, a blue suit jacket and a red and blue diagonally stripped tie. Ty's tie was slightly loose at the top and his jacket wasn't buttoned and the top three buttons of his shirt were undone, his signature laid back, I don't give a shit what anyone thinks about me but I 'm wickedly hot and I know it, look. He shook his head to the side to get the hair out of his eyes. "Whatever." They both turned and started walking towards the schools front entrance. "So what's new?" he asked again.

"Oh you know our hang out at the Peak?" Ty and his friends could frequently be found at Pinnacle Peak, they'd been hanging out there since Ty had moved to Scottsdale about two years ago. It was considered 'their' territory and to be able to hang out there you had to be 'in' with Ty, the group's official leader though no one really knew how he became this because he was the most reason to join the group but it was natural and they just went with it.

"What about it?" Ty asked curiously as they ambled between the groups of students. Waving and saying 'hey' to almost everyone.

"Well I was hangin' around SASSI yesterday ditching my parent's dinner party," Ty nodded in understanding. SASSI was a very fancy and expensive Italian (?) restaurant that both boys frequently went to with their parents. Mick's parents were famous art dealers' and dined with some of their bigger clients last night. "Well I was hangin' around the fountain last night and you know Missy right?" Missy was the wedding coordinator at SASSI. "Well she was walking around with this young couple. They came up to me and we started talking. Lou Flamen and Scott Treebin or something. But whatever. Anyways supposedly they're havin their wedding at SASSI in 6 months, April."

"Cool," Ty said distractedly. He looked up at the clear blue sky, "Should be good weather," he remarked.

Mick laughed, "Okay so boring news aside, are we still goin' to the Peak later? You never know, we could run into the future Mr. and Mrs. Treebun."

"I thought you said Treebin?"

"Treebun Treebin, same difference. So we still goin' later?"

"Course," Ty said with another one of his grins that sent a pack of girls they were passing swooning.

**Photograph**

_Later that day, Pinnacle Peak_

At 3:30 that afternoon and array of expensive and spotless cars pulled into the parking lot at the base of Pinnacle Peak. Leading the group of five cars was a black Ferrari with its top down. They pulled into a row of spaces. Ty jumped out of the black Ferrari not even bothering to open its door. He stretched his long, khaki shorts clad legs out in front of him. He was also wearing a navy blue t-shirt with a button down white shirt with dark blue strips over it that was left open.

Soon he was joined by a pack of equally good looking guys, most of who were also on the football team. There was Nick the center, Alex the kicker, Dan the running back and Rob the other wide receiver. This was Ty's closest group of friends.

As they walked up towards the mountains entrance they passed by a number of tourists who were wearing shorts and t-shirts with water bottles strapped to their sides who were taking advantage of the heavenly warm weather before returning to long-johns and parkas. They, specifically Ty, attracted the attention of every single, some not though, female within sight.

"Where we goin'?" Nick asked.

The question was directed to Ty and even though no one acknowledged it, it was a given. Ty was the leader of their group and had the final say in everything. Ty looked up at the sun. "How 'bout… spot R," they had a spot on the mountain for every letter of the alphabet.

"Sweet," Dan said as they walked over the little bridge that let to the bottom of the mountain where there were maps, bathrooms, water fountains, benches and a ton of tourists.

"Hey look!" Mick suddenly called out and pointed to the overhang where a bunch of hikers were sitting. "It's Scott and Lou!" the couple looked up surprised at hearing their names called out. Once they saw it was Mick they waved and walked over.

"Hey, Mick right?" Scott asked. They were both clean and not sweaty so Ty was able to determine that they hadn't yet started their hike.

"Yep, these are my friends Nick, Dan, Alex, Rob and…"

"Ty?" Lou asked suddenly peering intently at Ty.

Ty slowly turned around at the sound of his name, "Yah?" he said quirking an eyebrow. He looked Lou up and down before he determined that he did not know her though something about her seemed a little familiar, actually the same could be said for her fiancé to. "Do I know you?" he asked lazily.

"I-I'm sorry you just reminded me of someone I used to know," Lou stuttered.

Ty pushed his air out of his eyes to reveal his unique green eyes. The eyes looking at Lou instantly reminded her of someone… "We should get going," Ty said. "The park ranger comes around in," he pulled up his sleeve and looked at the silver Rolex that was strapped to his left wrist, "Half and hour." Not _all_ of the group's spots were located on the trail itself so they had to get out to their spot before the ranger came around. Not that it really mattered since the rangers all knew that they went off the trails and had given up long ago on trying to tell them differently but there was something about the Treebun's or Treebin's or whatever Mick had called them that was making Ty uneasy and he just wanted to go.

After a quizzical look at Ty Mick quickly agreed, "You're right." He turned back to Scott and Lou, "Have a good hike!"

"Thank you! Have a good day!" Scott called as the 5 friends turned to follow Ty off down the trail. Ty didn't even attempt to conceal the fact that they were not going on the trails. He walked right off into the brush walking around cactuses, rocks and holes like he did it everyday.

"What did you say your name was again?" Lou shouted after them boldly.

Ty never answered though he just kept walking though he did turn to stare at the couple. Mick rushed behind him to keep him from falling over a Teddy Bear cactus. Ty grinned at Mick like this was something he was always doing, which he was. Without Mick Ty would probably have been a human pin cushion ages ago.

Than they disappeared behind a large boulder leaving Scott and Lou standing at the trail head.

"Did that remind you of…?" Lou trailed off staring at the place where the teenagers had last stood.

"Yeah it did," Scott agreed quietly. "But it couldn't have been _him_," he tried to reason.

"Do you think it _was_ him?" Lou asked hopefully.

"Honestly Lou?" Scott sighed. "I doubt it. He's probably just another local kid or something. Besides we don't even know his last name or even his first name at that."

"I suppose so but…"

Scott cut his fiancée off, "Lou we'll probably never see the kid again. Just forget about it, it wasn't him." Scott paused before adding, "Just don't mention any of this to Amy."

**Photograph**

_4 hours later_

Ty was lazily leaning against a boulder on the edge of one of the trails few rest places laughing silently as he watched his friends try to scramble up the rocky hill without out falling on a cactus or getting bitten by a snake or a scorpion.

They were still only about half way up the hill so Ty turned around at looked at the other people who were sitting in the rest area sweating profusely and guzzling water. They all stared at Ty in amazement; he had just climbed up the side of the mountain and wasn't even sweating! Ty hated tourists so he quickly turned back around.

He walked over to the edge of the rest area and looked down at his friends, "Hurry up! Or we'll go to spot Z tomorrow!" he threatened. Spot Z was the hardest to get to and required the most climbing. The odd group scrambled a little faster.

Ty sat down on the low wall and looked up at the view. You could see his house from up here. It was one of the million dollar homes at the base of the mountain. The circular driveway was paved with cobble stones but it was smooth and in the middle was an island that had a monstrous saguaro and some prickly pear cacti around it. You could clearly make out the seven car garage and the sprawling patio in the back with the fans spinning and the misters sending out a fine mist. The lawn was impeccably cared for and there for it was as green as the nearby golf course. The pool was huge and the clear, blue water glistened invitingly in the afternoon sun. On the bottom of the pool there was a tile mural of running horses. It wasn't a photograph but a painting in gold's, dark reds, blues, purples and browns. Ty had always been strangely drawn to the mural but he never knew why. His father, Brad, had tried to get ride of it but Ty hadn't let him. The first time he saw his new house coming home from the hospital the mural had made the strange house feel more like home.

In fact, Mick's house was right next door to Ty's and just as extravagant. Ty and Mick became friends right after he moved here…

_Flashback_

_Two years ago_

_Ty walked out of his new front door and walked into the new driveway of his new house. He looked around at his new surroundings, everything felt strange to him. He had been told that he had been involved in a car accident at his old home in Virginia and had broken his neck and his leg and had been in a coma for several months. _

_Ty remembered his old life, he remembered his school, his friends and his old hang outs but something was missing. There was another part, a part with a beautiful, smiling and laughing girl and horses, a farm and people that had been like a second family to him. Ty asked his dad about it but he just told him that after he had awoken from the coma he had had amnesia and was probably just mixing things up._

_Ty had been confused, it had felt so real. He finally dismissed the foggy memories as a dream._

_Just than Ty heard the bouncing of wheels coming down the paved road in front of his house and saw a kid about his age with shaggy blonde hair on a skateboard. The kid jumped up into the air and the skateboard flipped under him. When he landed he looked up and caught Ty watching him._

"_Hey!" he called out. "Do you live there?" he asked pointing to the house behind Ty._

"_Yeah," Ty answered. "We… I mean 'I' just got here," Ty corrected himself because his family had actually been living here for months, he had only been here, at the house, for a few days._

"_Oh wait, are you Tyler?" he asked questioningly. _

"_Yeah," Ty said surprised. "How did you know?"_

"_My parents had your family over for dinner when you moved here. They told us about you, you were in the hospital, right?"_

"_Uh huh," Ty answered. "Car accident," he added even though it didn't feel right to say that._

"_Yeah I know. I'm Mick, Mick Laurence," he said walking over to Ty and extending his hand. They shook hands firmly._

_Ty grinned, "Hey and you can call me Ty."_

"_Cool. So Ty what school are you going to go to?"_

"_Um Scottsdale Academy I think," Ty tried to think back to what his parents had told him in the hospital._

"_Awesome! I go there to. 9th grade?"_

"_Yep," Ty grinned again. _

_Mick smiled friendly and said suddenly, "I was about to go to the mall to meet up with some friends. Do you want to come? I could introduce you to the guys."_

"_Okay, thanks," Ty said, thankful that his strange new life was starting to look up. _

"_Great, I'm just going to go drop my board off at home," Mick pointed to the house next to Ty's. "And than I'll back over here okay?"_

"_Okay," Ty answered. _

_Mick waved before jogging over to his house and Ty went back into his house to tell his parents he was going out._

_This was the start of new friendships and a new life…_

_End of flashback_

"Man you've _got_ to pick some new spots!" Ty was jerked from his thoughts as Mick climbed over the wall breathing heavily earning some odd looks from the hikers but as usual Ty ignored everyone that he wasn't interested in at the moment.

"You're the wide receiver, I shouldn't be _that_ hard for you," Ty commented with a smirk lifting the corners of his lips.

"Ty, man, you're crazy I don't know how you can climb that fast." Mick looked over the edge and than turned back to Ty, "But since the guys aren't up yet I have to ask you something, why did you make up that lame ass excuse about Ranger Joe?" Ranger Joe was what they called all of the park rangers, there wasn't any particular reason,someone just said it one day and it ended up sticking. "You know they don't care if we go off the trails."

"I know," Ty sighed wondering if he should say why he had done it or not. He finally decided to go ahead and tell Mick, "There was something about those two people… what were their names again? Oh yeah, Lou and Scott that made me uncomfortable."

"What?" Mick asked interestedly.

"I dunno, it felt like I knew them from somewhere but I'm positive I've never seen them before!"

"Well what about in VA? You know, where you used to live?" Mike suggested.

"I don't remember them though. I dunno just forget about it, I'll never see them again so it doesn't mater."

"You spoke too fast," Mick told Ty and he pointed across the rest area where Scott and Lou were just entering. "You should ask them if they live in VA."

"No! Mick I swear if you…" but it was too late, Mick was already waving the couple over,

"Hey Scott! Lou! Over here!"

Scott and Lou walked over to them and sat on the rock wall across from Mick and Ty.

"Hey," Scott said. "Where'd you guys go?"

"Oh you know," Mick answered. "We have our spots."

"What did you say your name was again?" Lou asked suddenly facing Ty.

Ty reluctantly looked up into Lou's bright blue eyes. It was just too familiar for him…

Noticing Ty's lack of words Mick started to speak for his friend, "Oh his name is…"

"Brian. My name's Brian," Ty said quickly, not knowing what had made him lie about his name to a pair of complete strangers.

"Oh," Lou said and looked down.

"I'm sorry," Scott said, "It's just that you remind us very much of someone we know… used to know," Scott corrected himself.

Mick continued talking to Lou and Scott but Ty got up and walked over to the edge of the rest area and was thankful to see that the rest of his group were just about at the top. Alex was the first to jump over the ledge. "Dammit Ty you've got to stop doing this to us!" He exclaimed loudly and Scott and Lou over questioningly. Ty glared at Alex. "What?" Alex looked around confused.

The rest of the guys were just reaching the top now. Once they were all standing in front of Ty gave them a glare that clearly said 'Don't say anything.' They looked at each other confused.

"Hey Scott?" Mike asked. "Where do you guys live?"

"Virginia," Scott answered, "Why?"

Mike glanced sharply at Ty before saying, "Oh, no reason."

Thankfully Ty's silver RAZR buzzed inside his shorts pocket and he quickly fished it out and looked at the caller ID. It read, 'mom' on the little screen. Ty quickly flipped it open and said, "Hey what's up?"

"Hello Ty," Lisa, him mom, said into the phone. "Your father just called to say that he's home early from his business trip and is on his way home."

"Okay. So I should come home now I guess?"

"Yes. Where are you?" she asked.

"The Peak," Ty answered simply.

"Of course," she said like she should have guessed it. "Just get home soon okay? You know your dad likes you to be here when he gets home."

"Okay, I'll be home in 20 minutes," Ty said before he flipped the phone shut and dropped it back into his pocket. "Change of plans," he said to his friends. "Dad's home early from his business trip and I have to get home." He looked around at his still huffing and puffing friends and grinned his trademark grin, "You guys can stay for a while but I've got to go. It was nice meeting you," he said politely to Scott and Lou before he ambled lazily out of the rest area and back down the path. Ty knew the place like the back of his hand and they saw him veer off the path in front of a group of hikers who looked at him like he was insane. After he disappeared from sight it only took him about 10 minutes to get to the bottom and from their view point they could see him vault over the Ferrari's door and motor out of the lot.

"He lives in that house right there," Mick said pointing down to Ty's house. And sure enough not 5 minutes later they saw the Ferrari pull into the circular driveway. This time Ty opened the door and walked around to the back of the house to where his mother and younger brother, Lee, were waiting for him on the patio.

Ty knew he was being watched and turned to face the mountain. He looked up to the spot where he could just make out a group of tiny figures and waved. 5 minutes later Brad Baldwin threw the sliding glass door open and Brad strode through. He flung his arms open wide and said, "I'm home!"

**a/n: **sorry it sucks towards the end but I hope you like it anyway! And just as a note: TY IS NOT A STONER OR A DRUGGIE! So don't tell me I made him sound like one! LOL! I personally think Ty is insanely hot as I have portrayed him and he will remain that way forever and ever until I find I guy like him which will be never! Next chapter is at Heartland. Review!

Oh and I have a chapter for every one of my stories written but my laptop won't connect with the internet even though the wireless connection is supposedly 'very good'. Go figure. So as a result I cannot email myself anything to post on another computer and Mr. Laptop seems to hate floppy disks so I'm trying it with a CD now but I can only do one for now. I'll try to have chapters for my other two stories up by Friday!


	3. The girl from the picture

**Authors Note**

I personally really like this story, and not just because I wrote it. I hope you readers like it but I haven't gotten many reviews. Not that the number of reviews matter (that much) I still like getting them and enjoy reading them. If you like this story or if you hate it (which I hope no one does), please review and give me feedback! This story probably won't be that long, maybe 10 chapters or so.

**Note: **was posted before but wasn't showing up so I deleted it and am trying again! Fingers crossed it works!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own it! Lauren Brooke owns all original characters, places and events! If I owned it I wouldn't have stopped the series and there would have been more Ty in the books!

**The Peak**

**Chapter 3**

_Heartland, a week later (Don't worry, we will be back to Ty very soon)_

A black jeep bounced up Heartland's long drive. When it pulled in front of the old farm house Lou and Scott got out and walked up the stairs to the side door. The door swung open and there stood Amy Fleming smiling at her sister and brother-in-law to be. "You're home!" she exclaimed excitedly. "How was Arizona? Was it fantastic? Was it warm?" she rambled on and on with the questions.

"Can we come in first?" Lou asked laughing as she gave her younger sister a hug.

"Of course!" Amy moved aside and they all headed into the kitchen where a delicious aroma lingered heavenly in the air. Jack, Nancy, Scott's parents Meg and Greg (a/n: don't remember their names) Soroya, Matt, and Heartland's two stable hands, Joni and Tom were preparing a magnificent, mouth watering feast like dinner. "They're here," Amy announced as the entered the kitchen.

Scott and Lou were swarmed with hugs and kisses from all in the kitchen.

Once everyone had greeted the couple, questions came full blast at them.

Jack clapped his hands together twice to get everyone's attention. "Dinner's ready! They can tell us all about their trip while we eat." Everyone moved to sit around the big dinning room table.

Once everyone had piled their plates high with the delicious food Meg asked, "So how was the restaurant you were considering for the wedding?"

"It was gorgeous," Lou gushed. "The food was delicious and the grounds were absolutely perfect, you could see Pinnacle Peak right in back of where the ceremony would be."

"So have you decided on a place and date yet?" Nancy asked excitedly her old, kind, motherly face creasing with a big smile.

"Yes," Lou said all smiles. "The wedding is going to be at SASSI, the place we visited in Scottsdale and it's going to be on April 14!"

"Congratulations!" Jack hugged his granddaughter.

"Oh but that's only six months away!" Meg exclaimed worriedly.

"There's so much to do!" Nancy seconded. "Invitations, travel arrangements, your dress, the cake, caterers…"

"It will be fine," Scott assured the stressing women.

"We haven't gotten the invitations yet but you're all invited!" Lou told everyone in the room. "Even you guys, Soroya, Joni and Tom."

"Thanks Lou!" Soroya exclaimed looking excited. "I hope mom let's me go," she said worriedly.

"Don't worry," Amy assured. "She will."

"What about Heartland?" Joni asked worriedly. "Who will watch the horses and the farm?"

"We'll find someone!" Lou exclaimed without a care in the world. Her wedding was only six months away!

"We've already booked a couple rooms at the Scottsdale Princess and eleven first class tickets for all of us. We're leaving on March 23," Scott informed everyone.

"Arizona is just so beautiful we felt that an extra three weeks would be good! You all have a ticket so save the date!" Lou put in.

"Great thanks guys!" Tom said.

"This is going to be so much fun!" Amy said. She was already looking forward to the trip.

"So what else did you guys do in Scottsdale?" Greg asked interestedly. "Anything you'd recommend for us to do?"

"Oh there was so much!" Lou said. "Everything we did was just great."

"You'll all have to see and hike Pinnacle Peak though, that was amazing," Scott put in.

"Well I'll see it but I don't think I'm up for the hike," Jack joked.

"Me to," Nancy seconded.

"Did you meet anyone interesting?" Tom asked.

"Oh you'll never guess," Scott said to his younger brother. "Do you know the famous art dealers The Laurence's?"

"Of course," everyone said and nodded their heads in confirmation. The Laurence's sold art all over the country and were well known for their top of the line, pricey, best in the business clients.

"We met their son, Mick, at SASSI."

"And than we saw him and a bunch of his friends at Pinnacle Peak," Lou put in.

"So what are the kids around there like?" Matt asked. "Better than around here I hope," he said jokingly as he nudged Soroya and Amy, two of his best friends, in the sides. Amy and Soroya rolled their eyes at each other before bursting into laughter. Fortunately, everyone missed the nervous look Scott and Lou exchanged quickly.

"They were just like normal kids, I suppose," Scott said. "They were a bunch of rich teenagers with fancy cars and acted like they owned the place."

"How so?" Jack asked curiously.

"They didn't stay on the trails like you're supposed to for one thing. Just wandered off into the brush and wildlife."

"Were they cute?" Soroya giggled as Amy elbowed her in the side.

"Girls," Matt shook his head. "Always forgetting the most important thing, what were their cars like?"

Everyone laughed before Lou replied, "Well we only saw one of them get into a car but that was a black Ferrari convertible, _with_ the top down."

"Nice," Matt said appreciatively.

"Did you get his name? He sounds like my kind of guy," Soroya giggled again.

Scott and Lou looked at each other again, "Well," Scott started. "His friends were calling him one thing but he told us his name was Brian."

Lou looked across at Soroya and added, "I wouldn't bother with him. We'll probably never see them again and besides he looked like a stoner."

"Oh," Soroya said disappointedly. "But if he's hot, has a hot car and tons of money than I don't care."

"Roya," Amy said. "Aren't you going out with Matt?"

"Oh right," Soroya tried to sound disappointed but you could tell she really wasn't. Matt was a good catch.

"Gee thanks," Matt said.

"You can have this Brian guy Amy," Soroya turned to Amy.

"Um okay thanks," Amy said awkwardly. She didn't exactly have a lot of experience with guys. Even though she was 16 she had never had a boyfriend or been kissed or gone on a real date or anything before. She didn't have any interest in any of the guys at her school or that she knew. The only guy she had ever liked disappeared two years ago and she had realized her feelings too late to do anything about them.

"You need to forget about Ty and find another guy," Soroya said matter-of-factly.

Amy blushed and looked down at the table. There was an awkward silence. "I don't know what you're talking about," Amy mumbled to the tablecloth feeling tears prick at the back of her eyes.

"Sure you don't. Look I'm your best friend I know what's going on. You just need to forget about him."

"You make it seem like he's dead."

"Well we don't know what happened to him, do we? You'll probably never see again, if he cared at all than he would have contacted you right? I guarantee that if he is alive and well that you'd know about it. His dad or whoever moved him wouldn't be able to keep him from you," Soroya said firmly but with care.

An awkward silence hung over the previously joyous group and everyone's eyes were trained on Amy. Amy's head was bowed and her long, light brown hair fell across her face.

The silence was broken by Joni. "So have you gotten your dress yet?"

**The Peak**

_Scottsdale, Arizona_

_March 25, Saturday_

Ty woke up on his king size bed at 1:30 on Saturday afternoon to his beagle, Phoenix, jumping onto his bed and licking his face.

"Ugh, Nix ge'off me!" Ty moaned as he tried to shield his face with a pillow but the active dog just shoved his wet nose under the pillow.

He heard a laugh from the door and looked up to see his younger brother, Lee, standing there with his hand on the door knob. "Are you seriously still sleeping? Guess you had a late night, huh?" Lee raised his eyebrows suggestively at Ty.

Ty chucked a pillow across his large bedroom and Lee easily dodged it. "I'll take that as a yes," Lee said grinning like mad like he knew something that Ty didn't.

"Fuck off Lee," Ty growled. He was feeling slightly hung-over and pissed off at being woken up before he was ready to get up.

Lee tutted, "Now what would mom and dad say if they heard their precious Ty using such 'vulgar' language?" he said quoting their parents and using air quotes around the word 'vulgar'.

Ty threw off his mound of black, gray and dark blue covers and pillows and dragged himself out of bed. He was only wearing a pair of boxers and his tan, muscular, defined chest and arms were visible. He walked over to his door and slammed it shut in Lee's disgustingly perky face before staggering back over to his bed and collapsing face first onto the downy mattress. Phoenix padded across the bed and snuffled at Ty's hair.

Ty pushed himself off of his bed and grabbed a pair of faded jeans and a slightly fitted black t-shirt. After he pulled them on he plopped down in his black leather desk chair. Phoenix jumped off of Ty's bed and his black collar with small, flat, silver studs jangled as he trotted across the room to Ty. He jumped easily up onto Ty's lap.

Ty scratched Phoenix's black, white and brown head and fingered the tip of one of his silky, black ears. "I bet you feel better than I do," Ty said as he pushed his dark brown hair out of his eyes. Phoenix gave a short bark in reply. "Great rub it in why don't you?" Ty said grudgingly as he rubbed his eyes tiredly. There'd been a wild party last night celebrating the Coyotes win against the Scorpions yesterday. And seeing as Ty was the quarterback he had been in the middle of it all, but that hadn't bothered him. He hadn't gotten home until around 3 in the morning.

Phoenix let out another bark before he bounded up onto the top of Ty's desk. The desk top was almost completely empty. It held only a black laptop, a black iPod video, a fancy fountain pen, a notebook, a math textbook that had never been opened and various remotes for his TV and sound system and radio and lights, fan, air-condition and heat. Phoenix perched on top of the desk, his tail waving like mad.

His swinging tail knocked over the lone notebook. Phoenix looked over the ledge of the desk at the fallen book before looking up at Ty. He had his head cocked to one side and his mouth was slightly open.

Ty groaned but bent down to pick up the notebook anyway. He shuffled up the few papers that had fallen out and stuffed them haphazardly back into the notebook, some of them ended up being creased down the middle but Ty could seem to careless. His attention had fallen on the picture that had fluttered out of the notebook to land on the floor next to one of the wheels on his chair.

Ty bent down to retrieve a photograph that was worn around the edges. He had found it tucked away inside one of his books when he first moved here but he didn't remember ever putting it there. It confused Ty; he didn't understand what it was of or when or where it was taken or who he was with in the picture. Sure he recognized the girl he was with from dreams he had had but that was it. Upon his arrival to his new house 2 years ago he had asked his dad about his life before, more specifically the things he had seen in his dreams, laughing and joking around with a girl, horses, beams falling… his dad had dismissed it all with a curt wave of his hand saying, "Dreams, that's all it is. Just dreams…" before turning back to whatever file he had been working on at the time.

Ty turned the picture in his hands and studied it intently even though he'd seen it a million times before. It showed him when he was around 15 sitting on top of a fence with a brown haired girl that was his age or maybe a year little younger. In the back round were huge leafy green trees, the kind you almost never see in Arizona. It was some kind of forest. He and the girl both wore huge smiles on their faces and there was that ever present mischievous glint in Ty's green eyes. They both looked happy.

Ty had never shown the picture to his father for fear he would throw it away. He didn't know why but the picture had always been special to him.

He sighed and tucked it back into its home inside the notebook. He turned back to Phoenix and stared at his dog while he leaned back in his chair stretching his long arms out in front of himslef.

"So," he contemplated. "What are we going to do today?"

**The Peak**

_Later that day_

_Pinnacle Peak_

Amy, Matt, Soroya, Lou, Scott, Joni and Tom were cruising down a deserted road on their way to have their hike at Pinnacle Peak at a fair speed, about 55 mph, in a dark blue 2005 Dodge Durango.

"You guys are just going to love it!" Lou exclaimed turning around to face the next to rows packed with teenagers. "It's…"

"Look at the hottie behind us!" Joni said appreciatively leaning over the back of the third row of seats.

"Let me see!" Soroya exclaimed excitedly turning around to. Soon enough every female in the car was turned and staring, as best they could, out the back mirror.

There was a dark haired boy driving in a black Ferrari that had the top down. The wind was sexily blowing his hair around his face. He was wearing a pair of tinted sunglasses so his eyes were not visible. He was taping his fingers on the steering wheel looking impatient.

He checked behind him and on the other side of the road before jamming his foot down on the gas and swerving around the Dodge. He lifted a hand in a half hearted wave before speeding off down the road going well over 100 mph.

"That guy just gave a whole new meaning to the phrase, 'put the pedal to the metal'," Matt said appreciatively wishing that he was the one driving the Ferrari.

"Hey, was that that guy you were telling us about before?" Soroya asked Lou and Scott curiously.

"Could be," Scott said after a nervous glance at Lou who just shrugged in return.

Five minutes later they pulled into the visitor's parking lot at Pinnacle Peak. Indeed, the black Ferrari was parked there glinting in the sunlight. The one they figured was the driver was leaning against the driver's door casually and was surrounded by a group of 5 other boys.

The only available spot left was next to the Ferrari so Scott pulled into it. They all piled out of the truck, blinking in the bright afternoon sunlight.

The caught a bit of the group's conversation.

"Killer party last night," the driver said lazily.

"Definitely," the blonde haired guy agreed sounding a bit out of it.

The group started to walk towards the hiking entrance when something stopped them.

"Hey look who it is!" the blonde drawled out lazily. "It's Scott and Lou, back again!" he was slurring his words slightly as if he hadn't quite recovered from whatever party he had been at the night before.

Scott and Lou stopped which caused everyone else to skid to a stop in back of them.

"Oh hey, Mick, right?" Scott called out.

"Si senor," Mick said in a fake Spanish accent. He picked up a hand a gestured for them to come over. Scott and Lou went willingly enough but the others dawdled behind awkwardly.

"So what are you doing back so soon in wonderful AZ?" Mick asked throwing his arms above his head and looking up at the sun glaring over their heads. "Ow, headache," he mumbled and he looked back down at the ground rapidly blinking to try and rid the blurry spots from his eyes.

"We're getting married at SASSI in 3 weeks," Lou answered with a grin.

The group murmured congratulations.

Mick's intense blue eyes fell on the group behind Scott and Lou. "So who is this?"

"Oh right," Lou said. "This is my sister Amy, her friend Soroya, Scott's brother Matt and Tom and Joni, the stable hands at my family's farm." When their name was called each individual raised a hand.

"Nice to meet y'all. This is Rob, Nick, Alex, Dan and…" he stopped on the driver of the Ferrari, Ty to those of us who know him. "And I'm not sure what _he's_ calling himself these days but…"

"My name's David," Ty drawled lazily sounding like he found watching grass grow more interesting than the current conversation or people.

"Didn't you say your name was Brian last time?" Lou asked confused.

"Last time I checked my name was David," Ty challenged back.

"Don't listen to him," Mick said pointing to Ty or David. He grinned insanely before saying, "He's just pissed because he didn't get any at the party last night."

Ty glared icily at Mick. If Mick hadn't been his best friend he would have been eating sand and lizard poop by now. "Me? I don't think so; it's you that didn't get any. You're just jealous of my outrageously good looks," Ty said with a wink that sent Joni and Soroya swooning. But it had no effect on Amy which pissed Ty off; he wasn't used to people not instantly falling for his charm.

Amy was staring at the pavement trying, unsuccessfully, to convince herself that 'David's' voice did not sound familiar, sure it was older and deeper but still familiar. She looked up slowly and took in his appearance. Perfectly tanned and muscled body, a pair of faded jeans that fit in all the right places, worn and scuffed black Converse All Stars and a black t-shirt. His dark brown hair was falling messily in front of his eyes. Than green eyes met gray…

Amy gasped and looked back down at the ground. Ty furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, he was almost positive he had seen this girl before.

"Well we should go," Scott said. "While the weathers nice and all."

The group of boys looked up at the blue sky; the only cloud in sight was a wispy, wimpy little thing that could hardly he classified as a cloud. "Oh yeah," Ty said sarcastically. "That'll bring a drencher I hope you remembered your rain gear."

Lou and Scott laughed lightly be they started to lead their group away but were stopped by Mick saying, "You want to see the Peak the real way?"

"What do you mean?" Scott asked turning around in his tracks.

"Come with us. The trails are boring and crowded with tourists, we know the good spots," he said, challenge evident in his voice.

"What?" Ty asked slowly like he was talking to a bunch of kindergarteners. He wasn't pleased that Mick had just invited a bunch of… _tourist_, of all people onto _his_ trails to see h_i_s spots.

"They can come with us," Mick said facing his best friend. "Come on, it will be fun."

Ty narrowed one eye and sighed not really in the mood to fight. "All right fine, come on. Let's go." He turned around and started walking off into the desert, the complete opposite direction from where the trail head was located. Dan, Alex, Nick, Rob and Mick all followed after Ty without question. Mick turned back around and called to Scott and Lou who were still just standing there,

"Come on! Hurry up!"

The group reluctantly began to follow. "Sheesh they've got their own little dictatorship going on here and this David guy is like their Hitler," Matt said.

**The Peak**

_3 hours later_

Ty was lying on his back on a huge bolder basking in the sun just like some of the lizards they had seen earlier waiting for the others to catch up with him. As usual Ty had reached their 'point' first.

He was pulled from his thoughts as someone bumped against his leg. He opened his eyes and leaned up on his elbows. "Oh sorry!" the pretty brunette said quickly, what was her name again? Oh yeah, Amy. She sat down awkwardly next to Ty, well not really next to him; she was more on the other side of the rock.

"No problem," Ty drawled lazily, he was drunk on the sun.

Amy fiddled with a few small pebbles and Ty took the time to study her. She was slim with long, light brown hair pulled away from her face in a simple ponytail, reveling her smoky gray eyes. Her dark denim Bermuda shorts revealed long, beautifully tanned and toned legs. The muscular calves turned to slender ankles before her feet disappeared into her Nike Shocks running shoes.

"Do you run?" Ty asked conversationally gesturing to her running shoes.

Amy looked up, surprised that he had even been talking to her. "What? Oh sometimes just to… you know, clear my head," she clamped her mouth shut and tossed a rock over the side of the boulder looking like she had said to much.

"That's why I like it up here," he gestured to their surroundings.

"It's beautiful," Amy murmured as she took in the view, the cacti, desert, and mountains, the pure green of golf courses in the distance and the luxury homes at he base of the mountain.

"I suppose it is, isn't it?" Ty said sounding like be had never really thought about it that way. He turned his attention back to Amy, "Well if you don't run that what _do_ you do?"

"Oh uh I ride horses." She quickly looked in Ty's direction. "Have you ever ridden?" she asked before she could even comprehend it in her head.

"No," Ty answered simply. "Well at least not that I remember."

"Oh," Amy looked down at the rock uncomfortably and scuffed the heel of her show against it. This was all too familiar, she would have said the person sitting next to her was her old friend, Ty Baldwin but… 1) Apparently his name was David, 2) He acted nothing like the old Ty had, 3) He said he had never ridden and 4) He clearly didn't have any idea who she was.

Just than Mick's shaggy blonde head popped over the edge of the boulder. He grinned and plopped down in between Amy and Ty. "So," he turned to Amy. "How are you getting along with T- I mean David here?"

"Fine," Amy said.

"He can be an ass," Mick said with a shrug of his shoulders as he misinterpreted Amy's brief, simple and unexplanatory answer.

"Thanks," Ty said.

"Well it's true." Mick shrugged.

Ty looked across Mick at Amy. Almost as if she sensed his eyes on him she turned to head to face him. She slowly raised her eyes and his emerald greens met her smoky grays for the second time that day.

And suddenly Ty knew, this was the girl from the picture.

**A/n: **Review!


	4. I'm Ty Baldwin

**Authors Note**

Amazingly I have nothing to say (for once)… so just you know… enjoy the chapter and review!

But about the rating, I'm thinking this one is defiantly going to be 'T', normally I just rate it 'T' to give myself some breathing room but this one is heading in the direction of 'T'. What with Ty's character being all bad ass and let's party all night I think I could have some serious FUN with him ;)

**Disclaimer:** All original characters, places and events are created and owned by Lauren Brooke.

**The Peak**

**Chapter 4**

_A week later, Saturday, April 1st_

_The Baldwin house _(a/n: pure and total randomness, but you gotta love it!)

"Ty," Lisa Baldwin gently pushed n her sons shoulder… or at least she thought it was his shoulder. Ty had a mountain of blankets thrown up over his head. "Ty it's time to get up," she said soothingly and glanced at Brad and Lee who were standing behind her trying, unsuccessfully, to keep the smiles form their faces.

The covers shifted and moaned. Brad covered his mouth with his hand to hold back the laugh. "Ty," Lisa said again.

"What?" came a groggy voice from under the covers.

Ty's shaggy brown haired head peeked out from under the covers. He looked around the semi light room dazedly before his eyes landed on the digital clock next to his bed. His eyes widened in horror as he saw the numbers being illuminated by the yellowish glow. "It's only 8:30!" he exclaimed outraged. "AND it's Saturday!"

"Well maybe if you didn't stay out till 4:30 in the morning than you wouldn't be complaining so much," Lee said reasonably from his spot safely behind his mother.

Ty glared at Lee for a second before throwing the covers back over his head.

"Ty you have to get up, now," Brad said.

"Later," Ty groaned. "When it's a decent hour… like 1."

Lisa and Brad looked at each other and nodded. Brad walked around Ty's bed to the other side motioning for Lee to follow him. Once they were all positioned around the bed Lisa silently counted, "One two… three." That they all grabbed Ty's covers and pulled them off him and letting them fall in a head abound the bottom of the bed. Ty groaned again as the cool air hit his body. He was sprawled out on his stomach in only a pair of dark blue plaid boxers. He looked seriously hot with his tanned skin and muscled body sprawled along the fitted black sheet that was all that was left on the bed.

"Jeez Ty, have you never heard of clothes? Or a shirt at the very least? I certainly don't want to see you with hardly any clothes this early in the morning," Lee said disgustedly.

"I can think of more who wouldn't mind at all," Ty mumbled smugly into the sheet.

"I didn't need to hear that Ty," Lee complained. "I don't want to know what my brother does in his free time."

"Than get out of my room," Ty said. He didn't wait Lee to respond. He pushed himself into a sitting position and said, "So why did you get me up at 8:30 on a Saturday?" he asked as he rubbed his eyes and yawned.

"Well we just wanted to say…" Brad started.

"APRIL FOOLS!" they all yelled in unison.

"Ha-ha-ha," Ty said sarcastically as he crawled to the bottom of his bed and yanked the covers back up over his head. He lowered them for a moment to say, "Never ever do that again." Than he threw them clean over his bed and not a minute later the sound of his light snores could be heard from under the mound of blankets.

**The Peak**

_Pinnacle Peak_

_Later that afternoon_

"So tell me again why we're here?" Matt asked. "Weren't we just here last week?"

"Yeah," Scott answered his younger brother. "But we enjoyed it so much last time that we decided to come back."

"But we've been hiking practically every day!" Matt complained.

"It's good for you, you could use the exercise," Lou said playfully.

"I play soccer," Mat retorted indignantly. "I think I get plenty exercise." He paused and than said, "We're not going off the trails again are we?"

"No," Scott replied. "This time we'll stay on the trails. Besides," Scott looked around the parking lot, "It doesn't look like they're here anyway."

"You spoke to soon," Soroya said. Just than a black Ferrari swung into the parking lot at a speed that was much higher than the 'suggested' 5 mph. The Ferrari almost mowed over a few tourists as it raced down the lot. The tourists yelled in protest but the driver ignored them and swung into a spot that received a little shade from a wimpy tree. The driver got out without opening the car door. A second later a dog followed him, it was a beagle. "Aw," Soroya cooed as she saw the dog. "That dog is ah-dorable!"

"The driver's not to shabby either," Joni said admiringly.

"True," Soroya nodded her agreement. "Wait isn't that that guy David?"

"Oh yeah," Joni agreed.

"I think you'd be a cute couple Amy." Soroya said and she turned to Amy who was kicking a rock around on the ground.

Amy looked up startled, "W-what?" she still wasn't really comfortable around the subject of who would make a good boyfriend for her or about this guy, David.

Soroya rolled her eyes, "Come on Amy. You should ask him to go to the wedding with you. Everyone else has a date except you," Soroya pointed out. "I'm going with Matt and Joni's going with Tom."

"Exactly," Joni agreed. "You should defiantly ask him."

Amy laughed a laugh that was devoid of any humor at all. "Yeah, right. I'm really going to ask him out when he's only said about 2 words to me. He probably doesn't even remember who I am."

"Nix get back here!" a voice called out loudly yanking Amy from her thoughts.

She looked over at where the voice had come from and saw that David had abandoned his place where he was leaning against his car and was walking around it. She heard the scrapping of claws and a whimper from by her feet and she looked down. David's dog was standing at her feet waving his tail wildly and panting.

"Hello…" Amy said softly and reached down to scratch his head. "Whoa!" she exclaimed as the beagle jumped up and put his front paws on her stomach so that he was standing on his hind legs. Amy smiled and rubbed his head again.

"I'm sorry," A masculine voice said from in front of her. Amy looked up and saw David standing in front of her. He gave a little smile and grabbed the dogs black studded collar and pulled him off of Amy. "Sometimes he just does that," David said 'elaborately'.

"Um it's okay," Amy said.

For the first time Ty looked at Amy. "Oh hey, Amy right?"

"Yeah," Amy answered amazed that he actually remembered who she was.

"Cool. Well this is my dog, Phoenix," Ty gestured to the beagle who was sitting by Ty's side, his pink tongue hanging out of his mouth.

"He's nice," Amy responded lamely.

Ty flashed his trademark smile and it made Amy's heart flip a little. "He's more like a little devil." He looked at his watch. "So I guess I'll see you around later?"

"Maybe," Amy said.

Ty lifted his hand in a small wave before walking back to his car with Phoenix trotting at his heels.

Amy turned around to see Soroya and Joni facing her, the rest of the group had walked on ahead and were looking at trail maps and lists of the various flora and fauna located at the mountain.

"What?" Amy asked.

"He probably doesn't even remember who I am," Soroya mimicked before giving Amy a knowing look.

"Well I…" Amy tried.

"Whatever let's just go catch up to the others," Joni said.

The three girls started walking towards the trail head where Lou, Scott, Matt and Tom were waiting for them. They were almost there when Soroya spoke up, "He does remind me of someone though…"

**The Peak**

_Pinnacle Peak, rest area_

_1 hour later_

"Do we have to?" Soroya complained. They were just approaching the final rest area on the trails. Scott and Lou wanted to continue and finish the last mile or so but everyone else just wanted to stop and rest.

Lou sighed, "Well if you really don't want to that I suppose you don't have to."

"Yes," Amy breathed, clearly looking relived.

"We'll wait here," Tom suggested pointing to the entrance to the rest area straight ahead of them.

"Okay. We'll meet up with you in about an hour," Scott said. Scott and Lou headed off down the trail while the teenagers walked into the rest area laughing amongst themselves. They immediately stopped, however, when they saw that there were already people sitting on the rocks bordering the enclosed rest area. They could easily be recognized as David, Mick and the rest of his friends, partly because of the beagle that was running around the rocks.

"Hey look its David and his friends…" Soroya said quietly nudging Amy in the side.

"Jeez Ty what did you _do_ last night?" Mick asked his friend laughing.

"Okay maybe it isn't David…" Soroya said sounding confused.

They sat down on the wall and tried to carry on their conversation which was a bit challenging due to the loud voices carrying over from the rocks.

"What?" Ty's voice drawled.

"Most people would not do that," Nick commented from his rock.

"I need some fun in my life," Ty said lazily looking up at the clear blue sky. "My life is boring, nothing ever happens in it."

Mick snorted disbelievingly. "Something's been happening to you ever since you got here 2 years ago."

If Ty's back hadn't been facing the Heartland group they would have seen a smirk spread across his handsome face. "Well I guess, but I need some excitement."

"What do you call last night? You hooked up with Kerry-Anne!" Mick exclaimed with a laugh.

"Been there done all that," Ty responded lazily. "I'm tired of the Academy's girls…"

"That's because you've been with all of them already," Mick stated factually.

"Not quite," Ty said thoughtfully. "But what this place needs is some new girls, new faces, new names, new backgrounds…"

"Backgrounds as in history or backgrounds as in…?" Rob trailed off suggestively.

Ty scratched the back of his neck. "What's the difference?"

"You're too much Ty," Mick said with a shake of his head. "Ever since I invited you to the mall 2 years ago you've been _the_ It boy, making me only second," Mick complained.

"Oh woe to you, life is so hard," Dan joked.

"Speaking so which," Ty said casually. "If I was you I wouldn't waste my time with Kerry-Anne, she's nothing special."

Everyone looked at him like he was on crack or something. "Are you serious?" Mick exclaimed in a shocked manner. "Ker is like the female version of you at Scotts Academy."

"Well than I hope I'm not as bad as she was…" Ty trailed off.

Mick shook his head in despair. "I think that car crash messed up your head man."

"Yeah what did you do again?" Rob asked. "Broken neck and internal bleeding? I think the doctors forgot to close some of that up," he joked.

"What kind of doctors you got in VA anyway?" Nick joked along with the rest of the guys.

"See that's the thing about comas, you're generally zonked out the whole time," Ty said with a shrug.

"Interesting choice of wording," Alex commented.

Amy looked at her Nike's. She was confused, Virginia, accident, doctors, coma, internal bleeding, broken neck …… Ty? Logically she knew this couldn't be her old firend, Ty Baldwin. That was impossible; she'd given up every hope of ever seeing him again. Besides, he would have contacted her to tell her he was okay and where he was and why he left, she just knew it.

She blocked out their laughter and turned back to her friends.

One minute Amy was having a mindless conversation with her friends and the next thing she knew she was being mauled by something with a wet nose and a tongue. "Ah!" she shrieked as she braced herself from falling backwards with her arms. She managed to push her 'attacker' off of her and saw that it was only the beagle from before, Phoenix was his name. _Smooth Amy, real smooth, _she thought wryly to herself as the dog's owner David or Ty or Brian or whatever he was currently going by dashed over to her and pulled the dog away from her.

"Sorry, again," he said apologetically. "I don't know what's up with him today."

"I do," Mick said as he sauntered over. "The dog knows a pretty girl when he sees one. Smart dog you got there Ty."

"Most definitely," Ty said with a grin and Amy blushed.

"But seriously," Mick continued looking at Amy. "Take that as a compliment, that dog is picky about who he likes."

"Um… thanks," Amy said unsurely as she stood up and brushed the dust off of her shirt.

"Hey didn't you say your name was David last time?" Soroya chirped.

Ty turned slowly to face her. "Yeah what about it?"

"Well he just called you Ty so I was ju…"

"So? What's it to you what my friends call me?" Ty all but spat back.

"Yo chill out dude," Matt said approaching Ty. "What she's trying to say is that most people have one name they go by, maybe a nickname but so far you've used three, Brian, David and Ty, which I might add are not related in anyway at all. So which one is it?"

"No you _chill out dude_," Ty mimicked harshly, his brilliant green eyes blazing.

"Whoa!" Matt said holding his hands in front of his chest. "Who said you owned the place?"

"I live right down there," Ty said pointing in the general direction of the bottom of the mountain. "So technically I believe I am closer to owning the Peak than you are. Where do you live again?" Ty said looking thoughtful and he looked Matt up and down. "Hick town USA?"

"Okay," Mick said as he stepped between the two. He turned to Matt and said, "First off you're a tourist, what do you know about us? Secondly you really, _really_, don't want to get on Ty's bad side. So I suggest that you go."

"Aw does the little rich boy need someone to speak for him? Does his little brain not hold enough vocabulary? Should I use simpler words?" Matt said indignantly.

"Fuck off," Ty snarled.

"Hey," Tom said as came and stood besides Matt. "We're just minding our own business here…"

"Stay out of this farm boy," Ty spat at Tom.

"Who do you think you are?" Matt exclaimed. "You can't just treat us like this; we haven't done anything to deserve it."

"Oh boo hoo," Ty said sarcastically.

"You know," Matt said. "I used to have a friend named Ty, you look kind of like him and I swear you could be him."

Ty gave a short laugh. "Well unless I have lowered my status in the last day than I highly doubt that I was ever friends with someone like you."

"Yeah me neither, you don't act anything like he used to. The Ty we knew," he gestured around to his group, "Wasn't an ass hole or a bastard."

Ty cocked his head to the side, "Beggars can't be choosers," he replied simply. He gestured with hand to his friends and started to walk away. When he was at the rest areas entrance he stopped and turned around to face Matt and the group again. "And I'll tell you exactly who I am, I'm Ty Baldwin, that's who." And with that they disappeared around the turn. The dog, however, stayed behind and snapped his teeth and growled in Matt and Tom's direction before agilely loping off to follow his master.

The group was left standing stock still in the middle of the rest area. "Oh my god," Amy breathed and sank down onto the bench and putting her head in her hands.

Soroya sat down next to her and tried to comfort her.

"I wasn't him," Matt said firmly.

"We'll never know now will we?" Amy said harshly. "Great going Matt," she said as a few tears trickled down her cheeks.

"You can't honestly tell me that you think that guy was Ty," Matt said disbelievingly.

Amy laughed bitterly. "Well same name, looks exactly how I imagined Ty would look now, if you were listening to their conversation he said he came here 2 years ago, he lived in Virginia before and was in an accident!"

"Yeah a CAR CRASH!" Matt exclaimed.

"Whatever it doesn't matter anyway," Amy said sadly. "If it was him he either doesn't remember me or he doesn't care about me."

"Amy that guy was an ass! There is no way NO WAY that that was Ty. Ty would never have acted like that, how he was talking before, that's not Ty! That guy couldn't possibly care about anyone."

"Well thanks to that little display you put on just now we'll never know who he was!" Amy said as more tears spilled down her face. Soroya hugged her and Joni came and sat on her other side joining in on the hug. "Sure he didn't act like Ty," Amy said through her tears. "But people change."

"Even if it was Ty," Matt said with a softer voice. "Can you honestly tell me that you would want to be friends with him again? Whoever that guy was is not for you Amy, you're better than lowering yourself to his level."

"I guess you're right…" Amy whispered.

"What's going on here?" Came Lou's shocked voice. Everyone whipped around to see Scott and Lou standing in the entranceway looking at them in bewilderment.

Tom stepped forward to speak. "You remember those guys we met the first time we were here?"

"Yeah," Scott answered automatically. "Mick, David and their friends?"

"Uh huh," Tom said slowly. "Well they were hear to and 'David's' dog jumped on Amy and he came to pull him away. Apparently his name isn't David though and he and Matt kind of went at each other. His name is actually Ty…"

Scott and Lou looked at each other, "Oh." Was all they could say.

"Yeah Ty _Baldwin_," Amy said from the side.

"Oh Amy," Lou said and stepped to her sisters side and gave her a hug.

"But it wasn't _him_," Matt insisted.

"I agree with Matt," Scott seconded quietly. "I'm really sorry Amy."

"No matter how much he looks like Ty or even if he has the same name it just wasn't him," Lou said into Amy's hair. When she pulled away she continued. "I know how much it hurt you when Ty left. How much it hurts everyday that you don't know where he is or what happened to him or even if he's alive but you have to move on. But weather you like it or not Ty's gone and the sooner you accept that the better it will be for everyone."

"I know," Amy sighed. "I just really thought it was him, that's all."

"I know you did, in all honesty that's exactly what Scott and I thought the first time we met him to," Lou said.

After a few minutes Lou looked at her watch and said. "We should get going. Remember we have that final dress fitting later?"

**A/n: **I know it's SHORT but that's all for now :( I could keep writing for this story but I think that's it for this chapter, it has the desired effect. In the next chapter our group from Virginia has a run in with the Baldwin's at SASSI. –Rubs hands gleefully- you readers are in for some good times :) I hoped you liked this chapter and REVIEW!


	5. Hot stuff

**Authors Note**

Thanks for all the reviews! I love Ty as a bad boy, who else agrees? I've just figured out the whole story, except one little part that's bugging me, and it's going to be AWESOME! Excitement galore is insured for this chapter :) so I'll stop talking and get on with the chapter! But remember to REVIEW!

**Important: **Ty's moms name has been changed from Lisa to Jane.

**Disclaimer: **Everything recognizable such as, people, places or events were created and owned by Lauren Brooke.

**The Peak**

**Chapter 5**

_Later that day, Saturday, April 1st, 6:30 p.m._

_SASSI restaurant_

Two luxury SUV's pulled into the parking lot at SASSI. One was a pearl white Cadillac Escalade and the other was a black Range Rover. Both cars were detailed expensively and gleaming, there wasn't a spot of dust, dirt or mud on either of their immaculate bodies.

Once the cars were parked in spaces the passengers emerged. Brad and Jane Baldwin came from the pearl white Escalade along with their 14-year-old son, Lee. Brad was dressed in an expensively tailored Italian black suit, a white button down and a light blue tie. Lisa was clad in a simple yet classy and elegant, and no doubt expensive, black dress with a strand of pearls across her neck, her light brown hair curled softly against her elegant features. Across her slim, tan shoulders was a shawl of the finest Chinese silk in midnight blue and silver. Lee was wearing a pair of khakis and a navy blazer; he had the whole Prince Charles look down pat. He was cool and confident looking, with his medium brown hair resting easily just above his green eyes, though they were slightly less vibrant than his older brothers they were by no means dull.

Harold and Isabella Laurence got out of the black Range Rover. There 13-year-old daughter, Alicia, followed them as she daintily climbed out of the back seat. Harold Laurence was dressed similarly to Brad Baldwin in a perfectly tailored black suit with a light blue shirt with a tie that matched his wife's dress. Isabella Laurence was wearing a Vera Wang halter dress in ruby silk. The neck came up a little passed her shoulders and her perfectly tanned back was left bare until the ruby silk started again at her mid back and floated to an end around her knees. Around the waist of her dress was a detailing of sequins that just added to the dresses exquisiteness. Isabella's curly, dark brown hair was pinned up on the back of her head and her long chandelier earrings accentuated her long neck. Her makeup was done just right so that her blue eyes stood out. While Mick had inherited his fathers blonde hair and his mothers blue eyes, his younger sister, Alicia, was the spitting image of their mother. Alicia was wearing a brown chiffon dress that ended at her knees and had slight ruffles around the neck, despite her young age the dress magnificently showed off the curves to her body. The brown material accented her tan skin and her long, dark brown hair fell in soft wavy curls along her straight back. She had on a heart shaped, silver Tiffany necklace and diamond studs in her ears.

Both families looked the perfect picture of wealth, elegance and sophistication. They were famous lawyers and art dealers. Appearance was important to them and they had plenty of extra money to ensure they always looked classy. The only thing missing from each family was their strikingly good looking elder sons, who were supposed to be joining them that evening for dinner.

(a/n: all this stuff describing SASSI is true by the way, at least as well as I remember it) The group of friends walked up the stone walkway and through an archway that led to the center square of the establishment. There were exotic brightly colored flowers and cacti growing around the stone buildings that framed the square. In the center of the courtyard there was a fountain that was spitting up water. About 10 feet in back of the fountain there was a stone wall and on the left of the wall there were several stairs that led down to another walkway that was bordered on either side by stone pillars, small leafy green trees and running along the wall, on either side, was clear blue water. Brightly colored Karp were swimming about in the water. At the end of the stone pathway there were huge, dark wood double doors that were elegantly detailed with metal.

At the sound of the women's heels clacking against the solid stone covered ground the large group already congregated by the water fountain looked up from their conversation. If the Baldwin's or the Laurence's noticed the company they kept it to themselves.

"Good evening Mr. Laurence, Mrs. Laurence, Mr. Baldwin, Mrs. Baldwin," a hostess greeted as she walked up to them. She was young, probably in her thirties. She was wearing a pair of black pants, a white button down and a black vest with a black tie disappearing down the front of the vest. "Lee, Alicia," she greeted the youngest of the party.

'Good evenings' and 'hellos' were chorused back to the hostess.

"Your table for eight is ready for you if you would like to be seated." She continued.

"We're actually waiting for Ty and Mick," Brad announced. "They should be here in five minutes."

"Very well," the hostess said with a polite nod and she walked away, back into the dining room.

"That shawl is absolutely lovely Jane," Isabella complimented as she looked at Jane's shawl.

Jane smiled brightly showing off two rows of perfectly straight and white teeth. "Isn't it though? It's 100 percent Chinese handmade silk," she said as she fingered the material between her fingers. "Brad got it for me when he was in Beijing last year…" Both women than got into a conversation of their various vacationing destinations and the exotically exquisite clothes they had gotten at each location. Harold and Brad started talking about cars and sports or business or whatever it is that men talk about. Lee and Alicia were left alone.

Lee turned towards Alicia and grinned at her mischievously. In response Alicia quirked a perfectly shaped and arched dark brown eyebrow at him in a way that only she could seem to do.

Lee stuck the tips of his fingers into the cool water of the fountain he was standing next to and flicked some of the drops onto Alicia's arm. Alicia emitted a high screech as the cold water hit her arm.

"Lee!" she laughed as she sauntered over to him on her strappy, flat brown suede sandals and whipped her arm off on his blazer. Lee and Alicia received a look from their mothers that clearly said 'We're in public, behave.'

After five minutes had come and gone Brad looked down at his high-tech watch before looking up at Lee, "Lee do you know where your brother is?"

"Uh," Lee said uncertainly, as if he wasn't sure whether he should say anything or not.

"Lee," Brad said warningly.

"Well I think I heard something about a party that was supposed to be tonight," Lee said quickly.

"When did you last see him?" Jane asked.

"When you guys were getting dressed he came in. He left again wearing his suit and said he'd meet us here," Lee said with a shrug.

"I suppose Mick is with Ty than?" Isabella asked.

Everyone turned to Alicia. "Well I also saw him earlier today and he said he'd meet us here," she said as she smoothed down the front of her brown dress even though there was nothing on it.

"Honestly," Isabella said with a shake of her head. "Those two are too much."

"I know," Jane agreed. "At least they're not…" she stopped mid sentence when the sound of cars engines being gunned filled the air. When the engines shut off two car doors slammed shut and loud talking and the sound of laughter wafted over to the fountain. "They're here," Jane announced.

Sure enough just moments later Ty and Mick emerged through the archway laughing loudly at something. They strutted jauntily across the square until they confronted their families. Ty was wearing a pair of black dress pants with a hunter green button down that was not tucked into his pants, the sleeves were rolled up to a little under his elbows and the top two buttons were undone. The suit jacket was no where in sight. His emerald eyes were bright and dancing and his hair was, as per the usual, falling sexily in front of his eyes. Mick was clad in a pair of pinstriped Ralph Lauren suit pants, a white shirt and a black tie with white polka pots hanging loosely around his neck. His navy eyes seemed to be laughing at some private joke and his hair was in front of his eyes to. Again the jacket was not being worn. Undoubtedly the jackets were thrown carelessly into the backseat of the owners' car.

"You're late," Harold told them.

"Aw come on dad," Mick managed to say when his laughing quieted down.

"Let's get this dinner over with," Ty said. "There's supposed to be a killer party later."

"You can't spend one night with your family?" Jane asked Ty.

Mick and Ty looked at her like that was absurd. "Mom it's Saturday. It's like the unofficial official party day. Besides," he continued and he nudged Mick in the side with his elbow. "What's the party without us?"

"Exactly," Mick said while grinning insanely. "We can't risk ruining the party throwers reputation because if we don't go than that person will be like shunned."

"Isn't that sweet of you," Alicia said in her light girlish voice.

"Seems like you've already been partying," Lee said as he eyed the tipsy pair.

"Naw," Ty shook his head.

"Where were you than?" Brad asked eyeing the duo suspiciously.

"Well this afternoon we were at the Peak," Ty answered his father. He chuckled lightly again. "Man you shoulda been there."

"Why?" Harold asked curiously. "What happened?"

"There were these annoying tourists," Mick said. "Ty totally told them off."

"What did they do to you?" Jane asked.

Ty shrugged disinterestedly. "Kept getting on my back about my name."

If any of them had cared remotely about their surrounding they would have noticed that the other large group of people also standing around the fountain was listening to every word they said. The group actually consisted of Lou, Scott, Amy, Matt, Soroya, Joni, Tom, Jack, Nancy, Meg, Greg, Amy and Lou's father from Australia, Tim, and his second wife, Helena and their 11-year-old daughter Lily.

Amy was standing there with her mouth practically hanging open. All the others seemed to be just as shock as she was.

"Hey hot stuffs!" A cheery feminine voice echoed around the court yard. Everyone turned and saw a woman of about 25 walking towards them with a leather bound book held under her arm. She was wearing a pair of dark wash True Religion jeans and a pair of black suede cowboy boats with a pointed toe. She had coupled with it a velvet turquoise blazer and her blonde hair was tied in a messy bun behind her head.

"Missy!" Mick called out and threw his arms opened. Missy was the wedding coordinator at SASSI and was familiar with Ty and Mick since they were there so much. Missy came and stood between Ty and Mick and grinning wolfishly each boy bent down and each kissed her on a cheek at the same time, as was their custom.

As they straightened she put an arm around each of their broad muscular shoulders. Amazingly enough she was almost equal to Ty and Mick in height. "So what have my hot boys been up to lately? I haven't seen either of you in like forever!"

"Oh ya know," Ty responded nonchalantly. "This and that."

Missy turned to the Baldwin's and the Laurence's. "Oh Isabella that dress is ah-mazing on you!" she complimented. "And Jane, wow. Is that real Chinese silk?" she asked aghast.

"That it is," Jane responded with a smile.

"Fantastic," Missy enthused. She turned to Isabella. "What's your dress Isabella? I don't recognize it."

"It's the latest from Vera Wang," Isabella replied with a brilliant smile. "It hasn't even hit the stores yet."

"Lucky bitch," Missy said playfully. "And we have my hot stuffs poppies," she said as she turned to Brad and Harold. "Looking fah-bulous, as usual, I see. And I see my little buddy Lee is turning into quite the little hot stuff junior…" she cocked her head. "Or maybe Prince Charles." Finally she looked Alicia up and down. "And Licia just looks better every time I see her." Everyone laughed amiably with Missy. "So are you guys just in for dinner tonight?" she asked.

"Yeah," Harold answered. "Pure leisure this time, no business."

"Thank God for that," Brad added with a laugh.

"So any big plans for after dinner?" Missy directed the question to Mick and Ty.

"But of course," Mick said with a grin.

"Killer party tonight man!" Ty exclaimed pumping his fists a few time for affect.

Missy slapped him on the chest playfully. "You two hot things are too much."

"You should defiantly hit the party tonight with us Miss," Mick said.

"Where is it?"

"Rob's place," Mick told her.

"Oh yes your dah-licious friend. I'll try to stop by later but I'm pretty busy tonight."

"On a Saturday?" Ty asked sounding like it was the most out of this world thing he had ever heard. "How is that right? Saturday is like the party day of the week. Well and Friday night of course."

"Tell me about it," Missy groaned. She glanced at the silver watch strapped to her left wrist. "Well I have an appointment to make and I'm already running late so I should leave so guys to your dinner," she announced sounding regretful. She looked around and her eyes landed on the group by the water fountain. "There they are!" she exclaimed excitedly. "Come on over!" she called out to them.

The members of the group from Virginia looked at each other before hesitantly walking over to where they were standing. "Yes, yes," Missy said. "Wonderful to see you guys again. The big day's getting close huh?" she turned to the Baldwin's and the Laurence's and said for their benefit, "Here we have the wedding of Scott Trewin and Lou Fleming…"

Jane gripped Brad's arm as they saw the people standing in front of them. The Virginia group did much the same.

"And guys," she said to the Virginia group. "This is Harold and Isabella Baldwin and their daughter Alicia and their son Mick," each Laurence nodded at the sound of his or her name. "And Brad and Jane Baldwin and their sons Ty and Lee."

"Well well well," Mick said interrupting Missy. He glanced at Ty, "Look who we have here Ty."

"Yes," Ty said as he stepped forward. He grinned wickedly. "It's farm boy. Hicksville isn't lonely without you yet?"

Matt shifted uncomfortably under Ty's gaze. Ty and Mick circled the group slowly like hungry piranhas or a leopard stalking its pray.

"You've met?" Brad asked slowly sounding nervous of the response Ty was going to give to him.

"Yes. This is the group of tourists I told you about just now," Ty said gleefully, "The ones that wouldn't fuck off about my name."

"You could have just told us your real name in the first place," Matt reasoned boldly.

Ty stopped and turned slowly to face Matt. "Now where's the fun in that?" he said.

"Well it's not as if we ever did anything to you," Matt said as he gained confidence. "You're the one that's acted like a bastard to us."

"I told you that you didn't want to get on his bad side," Mick said with a shrug.

"Well you guys didn't have to come up to us picking a fight!" Matt said heatedly.

"Whoa whoa whoa," Ty said and he held up a hand. "I started a fight with you? I believe I just came over to you guys to apologize for my dog who had jumped on your friend Amy."

"Ty," Jane suddenly addressed her son. "Why don't you, Mick, Lee and Alicia head on inside and get our table," she suggested.

"Aren't you coming?" Ty asked as he turned to face her.

"Yes but in a minute." Brad continued, "I have a business trip scheduled for Virginia in few months and I would just like to talk to this group of nice folks for a moment to see what they would recommended I do while I'm there," Brad lied through his teeth.

"Kay whatever," Ty shrugged. "See ya later Missy."

"See ya's hot stuffs!" Missy said with a grin.

"Bye beautiful!" Mick called out.

"I'll try to stop by that party later. Bye sexies!" (a/n: ha that's not even a word)

Once Ty had disappeared into the restaurants main dining room along with Mick, Alicia and Lee Brad and Jane turned to the Virginia group. "You're the people from that blasted horse farm in Virginia aren't you?" Brad asked.

"Yes," Jake spoke up. "And you're the Baldwin's that used to live in Virginia aren't you?" he challenged.

"Yes," Brad answered looking Jake straight in the face.

"So that was Ty? That boy just now in the green shirt? That was the Ty that used to help out around Heartland?" Lou cut in, in a shocked voice.

"Yes," Brad said again. "That was my son Ty."

It was so quiet that the crickets could be heard chirping away in the bushes.

"Look," Jane said quickly. "This isn't the time nor the place to get into anything now." She turned to Missy who was standing there awkwardly. "Missy do you have a piece of paper I could steal from you?"

"Of course I do Jane," Missy said as she grabbed a piece of paper and a fountain pen out of her leather bound book. She handed them to Jane and Jane took the two objects in her perfectly manicured hands.

Jane quickly scribbled something on the paper in her neat loopy print. "Here," she said as she folded the paper in half and handed it to Lou. She handed the fountain pen back to Missy before continuing. "That's our address, come by tomorrow at noon."

"Alright," Lou agreed doubtfully.

"Now if you'll excuse us," Jane said primly. "We have a dinner to get to. Take care Missy."

"Bye Jane, Brad, Isabella, Harold."

The four elegant adults turned and walked into the restaurant. There was a minute of awkward silence. Missy broke it by saying in an enthusiastic manner, "So are you guys ready to look around again?"

**The Peak**

_An hour and a half later_

After having a full meal of delicious foods Mick and Ty burst out of the dinning room, finally being told they could go after a grueling hour and a half of sitting there and talking.

"Time to par-tay!" Ty hollered upwards towards the sky. Both Mick and Ty were feeling a slight but enjoyable nonetheless buzz from the champagne their parents had ordered for dinner.

"Yeah man!" Mick seconded.

They jogged under the archway and out into the parking lot where they almost mowed right over the Virginians.

"See ya later farmies!" Ty shouted to them as he hurtled over the door to his black Ferrari and landed in the Ferrari's plush leather seating. "It's party time!"

Once Mick had gotten into his hunter green convertible Porsche they put their keys into the ignition and simultaneously gunned their engines before shooting out of the parking lot and speeding off down the road, the air blowing their hair back because of course they had left the tops down.

Scott, Lou and their group of family and friends were left standing on the sidewalk watching the red tail lights rapidly disappearing in to the distance.

**The Peak**

_The next day, Sunday, April 2nd_

_The Baldwin house, noon_

'Ding dong'

The doorbell sounded and echoed through the whole house at noon on Sunday, April 2nd.

Brad walked slowly down the carpeted hallway to the door. He unlocked the latch and twisted the doorknob. The mahogany door swung open and he was faced with the same exact group he had seen the last night, Lou, Scott, Jack, Matt, Amy, Soroya, Tim. The others had decided to stay at the Scottsdale Princess.

"Welcome," he said and forced a smile onto his face. "Come in," he gestured for them to come through the doorway. Once they were all inside the threshold he said, "Just follow me." He led them back down the hall and into the magnificent kitchen. All of the appliances were the latest models and they were all in stainless steel. There was an island in the middle on the room and there were several stools surrounding it. Every surface in the kitchen was of a pinkish orangish granite.

"You can sit around the table if you'd like," Brad offered trying very hard to be nice.

Jane walked over and set a tray laden with mugs of coffee and biscotti on top of the table's glass top. Once everyone was seated in chairs around the table Jane and Greg sat down on the stools.

"Nice place you've got here," Jack broke the silence. "Doesn't seem like you're doing to bad."

"Thanks," Brad said slowly trying to figure out if he just had been complimented or if he had just been insulted.

There was more silence. Amy boldly spoke up next, "Ty's sure changed a lot," she said in a hard, cold voice.

"Ty's fine," Jane said defensively. "In fact he's perfect."

"Care to tell us what happened two years ago?" Jake asked.

Brad sighed. "At the time of Ty's accident I was away on a business trip here, in Scottsdale. I was offered a job as partner at a big firm out here and I accepted it. When I heard what had happened to Ty I was mad. Mad and upset. I called the Mayo Clinic Hospital and arranged for a helicopter to come and transport Ty here."

"And you didn't think it was important enough to tell us this?" Lou asked sounding outraged.

"I never liked Ty working at Heartland anyway and that was a way for me to get a way from it," Brad answered reasonably.

"Does he not remember us?" Amy asked hesitantly. "I mean he didn't seem like he knew who we were."

"No he doesn't remember," Jane answered. "When he woke up from the coma a few months later he had amnesia. He ended up remembering almost everything about his life before the accident but…" she paused. "But he didn't remember ever working at Heartland or horses or his accident or any of that."

"So you never told him?" Scott asked stonily.

"No we never told him," Brad answered.

"Does he even know how he was injured?" Tim asked doubtfully.

"We told him it was a car crash," Jane said softly.

"So basically you've lied to your own son for two years about who he really is," Lou said.

"We haven't lied to him about anything. He never remembered and we just didn't tell him. He's better off not knowing anyway," Brad said defensively.

"We were going to tell him though," Jane added. "Eventually."

"Is he really better off now though?" Lou asked.

"Of course he is," Brad said. "He's thriving in this environment."

"Oh yeah," Matt snorted. "Thriving he is but not in a good way."

"Excuse me?" Brad asked in a hard voice.

"Let's see he's a partier, a womanizer, a druggie…" Matt started to rattle off things.

Jane interrupted him in a loud voice, "My son does not do drugs! Yes he parties but he doesn't do anything bad or illegal. But he most certainly is not a womanizer!"

"I did not have you over to my house to listen to you criticize my son!" Brad exclaimed. "If you would like to here about Ty than I will tell you. He is the starting quarterback on his school's football team, he attends Scottsdale Academy, maybe you've heard of it? It's one of the United States top 50 high schools. He has good friends and most importantly he is happy with his life."

"Because he doesn't know that he ever had another life!" Jake said and pounded a fist on the table.

"That is completely irrelevant," Brad said with a wave of his hand. "Ty has never once expressed an ounce of interest in horses since we got here."

"So he's never been riding?" Amy asked.

"Well of course he has. Some of his friends have horses, they gallop them across the desert but that's it," Jane said.

"Yo what's up?" Lee said sleepily as he wandered into the kitchen clad in a pair of red plaid pajama bottoms and a white t-shirt. He looked around the full kitchen in surprise. "What's going on?"

"It's about Ty Lee," Jane said wearily.

"Oh right," Lee nodded in understanding. "All that horse crap right?" he opened the industrial sized stainless steel fridge and poured himself a glass of orange juice.

"So when were you planning on telling Ty this?" Lou persisted.

"Later," Brad answered vaguely. "But if it will make you happy I'll tell him now." He turned to Lee who was peering into a brown paper bag trying to find a muffin he liked. "Lee," Lee turned away from the bag slowly at the sound of his father's voice.

"Yeah?" he asked slowly having a feeling that he wasn't going to like whatever came next.

"Go upstairs and wake your brother. Tell him to come down here."

Lee grimaced. He looked at the clock and than turned back to his dad, "Uh dad it's only 12:30."

"So?"

"Uh Ty's not exactly the most civil on a Sunday morning before 3…" he trailed off.

"Tell him it's important," Jane told her youngest son.

"You know he only sleeps in boxer's right?" Lee said disgustedly. Amy blushed at her seat at the glass table. "And last time I tried to wake him up he almost killed me, he threw a pillow at me and slammed the door in my face, I'm lucky my face isn't smashed in… and that was at like 2:30 in the afternoon."

"Lee just go wake up Ty," Brad said again.

"Okay," Lee said sounding skeptical. He set his glass on the granite counter top before slowly backing out of the door. As he exited the room he mumbled, "God I hope he's alone…" but he ended up being heard by most of the rooms other occupants anyway.

A minute later Lee's footsteps could be heard coming back down the stairs. He entered the kitchen again and walked right back over to his glace of juice and the blueberry muffin he had chosen.

"Where's Ty?" Brad asked after a minute passed and Lee didn't say anything.

"Uh Ty's…" Lee started to say but stopped when the front door was heard opening and closing. "Home," he concluded.

"Ty get in here!" Brad called out.

Ty had started up the stairs, trying to be quiet but backed back down them at his fathers command. He walked into the kitchen. "Yah?" he said sounding tired. He was still wearing his clothes from the previous night but now his hunter green button down was wrinkled and only halfway buttoned.

"Did you just get home Ty?" Jane asked him.

"Yah," Ty said again.

"Were you out all night?" Brad asked.

"Uh yah," Ty said yet again

"Where were you all night?" Brad asked next.

"Uh I dunno," Ty shrugged. "Not Rob's house I know that. Maybe Katie's?" he paused and shook his head, "No not Katie. Kerry- Anne… no wait that was before. I know, Serena's," he nodded in satisfaction that he had remembered.

"Ty," Brad sighed wearily and rubbed his temples.

"What?" Ty asked. For the first time he looked around the room and a look of confusion passed over his face as he saw who was sitting at his kitchen table and staring at him in shock and disbelief. "Uh why are they here?"

**a/n: **I loved writing this chapter! I had it all planned out in my head. Hehehe next chapter Ty finds out AND more stuff happens. Yes this is so much fun! I love this story! Review!


	6. The party

**Author Note**

Sorry for the long wait for an update, my laptop died- won't even turn on! - And I'm sick. That's why you're getting so many updates today before 11 p.m.! Home sick… bleck. I noticed in the last chapter that when they were at SASSI that Missy accidentally introduced the Laurence's as the Baldwin's… bad Missy! I seem to be doing that a lot in my stories, calling someone the wrong name I mean.

I SHOULD be updating my other story, Dirty Little Secret, but I really want to update this one! Shhhhh don't tell anyone! lol, hope you like this chapter. Review! –Steph

**Important: **Ty's actually going to be a senior and Amy's a junior.

**Disclaimer: **All original people, places and events were created and are owned by Lauren Brooke.

**The Peak**

**Chapter 6**

"Ty we need to talk you," Brad told his son.

"Okay," Ty said calmly, seeming to have already forgotten the group of people sitting in his kitchen. He turned and started to walk out of the kitchen.

"Now Ty," Brad added.

Ty stopped and turned back around. He didn't walk back into the kitchen; he just leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms over his chest. "Later," Ty said casually. "I'm taking a shower."

Brad seemed about to argue some more with Ty but Jane put her hand on his arm said as calmly as she could, "Alright Ty take a shower. Just be quick about it."

"Oh I can be quick," he said. He winked at Amy and sauntered off to the upstairs. Amy blushed and looked down at the table, again.

"Kids these days," Jane laughed uncomfortably.

Everyone that was sitting around the table stared at the couple sitting on the bar stools. Lee looked up from where he was standing at the counter eating his blueberry muffin.

"So that's Ty?" Jake asked in a voice that was filled with forced calm. "He's…" he trailed off as if searching for the right word to describe his feelings. "_Different_," he finally concluded.

"Well what do you expect?" Brad replied indignantly. "He's not 15 anymore, he's grown up. He's a 17-year-old boy; of course he's going to be different than you remember him!"

Jake shook his head sadly. "I never would have thought… not the Ty we used to know…"

"Does he often do this?" Lou suddenly spoke up. "Get home at noon? Not know where he was during the night?"

"I do not see how that is any of your business," Brad responded harshly.

"You said you were going to tell us about him and I thought you just said that you had nothing to be ashamed of with Ty? So why are you keeping something from us?" Scott said logically.

"Yes I did say that we would tell you about Ty but I did not say that I would tell you every last detail about my son," Brad answered.

"We've already told you that we have acknowledged the fact that he likes to party," Jane cut in, her light brown eyes blazing. "He likes to have a good time. Is there something wrong with that?" she asked primly.

"So you don't care that he spent the night at some girl's house, whose name he can hardly remember?" Tim asked.

"I did not have you over my house to listen to you criticize my son!" Brad exclaimed again. "If you have a problem with him than that's fine, you're entitled to your own opinion but the fact if you don't know Ty. You know the old Ty, the one from two years ago; the one that you're convinced would never have changed. But who's to say that if the accident never happened and he remembered all of you that he wouldn't be how he is now?" Brad paused his ranting for a moment and look around at all the people sitting at his table. "You're making him out to be some kind of criminal but he's not a bad person."

The room was silent. The silence was only broken by the sound of claws scrapping across the stone tiled floor. A moment later Phoenix came scampering around the corner into the kitchen. He cocked his head at all the people and his tongue was hanging out of the side of his mouth, in a kind of dopey smile. After a moment he trotted over to where his food and water bowl was sitting.

45 minutes later Ty finally reentered the kitchen. His brown hair was still damp and he was wearing a baggy pair of dark Lucky Brand jeans that fit in all the right perfect places. He had a black t-shirt slung over his shoulder leaving his lean, muscular and defined chest bare and exposed to everyone else. Amy couldn't help but stare at Ty's chest; Ty noticed and grinned wolfishly at her. Amy quickly looked away.

"Ty where's your shirt?" Jane asked tiredly.

Ty dangled the black shirt around, "Got one." He began looking around the kitchen for something that he wanted to eat. Finally he pulled a bagel out of the bag and not being bothered enough to cut it, toast it or add butter and cream cheese he took a bite out of it.

"Put it on please," Jane told her eldest son.

"Fine," Ty said. He pulled the black fabric over his head. The shirt fit him perfectly, accentuating his muscular upper body. Somehow it managed to wonderfully define his muscular torso without actually being tight. It left you wanting to see more… "There, happy now?" Ty said and took another bite of his bagel. He effortlessly pushed himself on the granite countertop. "So what's up?"

"Ty there's something we, your mother and I, need to tell you that we should have told you two years ago."

"Shoot," Ty said casually as he looked out side the sliding glass door that led to the backyard and the pool. The bright Arizona spring sun was glinting down on the water in a way that made it very inviting. Ty grinned widely as a thought struck him. "Hey we should go swimming. It's fucking hot outside, who's in?" he paused and if possible grinned even water. "We could go skinny dipping…" he slyly suggested.

"Ty this is serious," Jane said tiredly.

"Fine," Ty said. "What's up?" he asked again.

"There's something that you need to know about you accident. You… Ty where are you going?" Brad called after Ty.

Ty had suddenly jumped off of the counter and swiftly exited the room and climbed up the stairs. He walked into his room and moved over to his desk where he picked up the lone 5-Star notebook lying forgotten there. He searched through the pages briefly, trying to find something. Finally he extracted a piece of paper and gripped it tightly in his hand as he dropped the notebook and headed back downstairs.

He slammed the picture down next to his father's hand before he again sat in his spot on the granite countertop.

"What's this?" Brad asked as he examined the picture, Jane was right besides him.

"Does whatever you want to tell me have anything to do with that?" Ty asked as he leaned back casually against the cabinet drawers.

"Where did you get that?" Jane asked in surprise after she had determined what the picture was a picture of. She passed it to Lou who in turn looked at the photograph and passed it around the table.

Ty shrugged noncommittally. "Found it in one of my books when we moved here."

"Why didn't you show it to us?" Brad asked.

Ty laughed at the seriousness present in his father's voice. "It's just a picture dad."

"No Ty, it's not _just_ a picture," Brad told him.

"Looks like one to me," Ty said. "But what I don't get is why am I with…" he trailed of and looked around the table, his eyes falling on Amy, "Her, Amy. I've never met her before… unless, were you in Malibu last spring break?" Amy shook her head in confusion. "Oh good," Ty said sounding relived. "I was going to feel really stupid if that was where I met you. Besides, I don't think I'd forget you…" Ty trailed off suggestively. Amy blushed madly when she got what Ty had been implying and suddenly became very interested with the napkin in front of her.

"Ty you do know Amy… and all of the other people right here," Jane said quietly.

"Well yeah I knew that already," Ty said nonchalantly.

"You did?" Jane asked Ty is surprise.

"Yeah, I met them a few weeks ago at the Peak."

"Oh," Jane sighed. "That's not what I meant. You knew them before… before we moved here, before you accident."

"Did I?" Ty asked not sounding overly interested. "Let me guess I wasn't actually injured in a car crash was I?"

"How did you know that?" Jane asked suspiciously.

Ty looked up, only looking faintly surprised that he had been right. "Uh I didn't. I just said that. But how was I actually injured than?"

"Well there was a tornado…" Brad began.

"A tornado?" Ty asked excitedly. "This is already sounding better than a car crash."

"Serious Ty," Jane reminded him.

"We'd better start at the beginning," Brad suggested. "Well you see Amy's family owns this horse farm called Heartland. You had worked there for about two years I think it was and…"

"Whoa hold on," Ty said holding up a hand. "I worked at a horse farm?" he snorted. "I don't know what's funnier the idea of me scooping horse shit or working in general."

"Anyway," Brad decided to continue and pretend like Ty hadn't just said anything. "One day two years ago there was a tornado. A tree was knocked through the roof of the barn and you and Amy went in to get out the horses. Something happened and the roof collapsed, taking you with it. Everything from that point is true though," Brad added. "After I was offered the job at the firm here I had you transported to a hospital out here. When you woke up you didn't seem to remember anything about all that and so it was just easier for us to not tell you."

Ty was silent for a minute before he said, "Is that all you wanted to tell me?"

"Yes Ty but…" Jane started to say.

Ty cut her off. "Great than I'm outta here," he said as he jumped off of the counter and walked towards the door.

"Ty where are you going?" Jane asked her son tiredly.

"I was supposed to meet Mick and the guys at the Peak awhile ago. I'll be home late, don't wait up!" he called out as he reached for the door handle.

"Ty get back in here!" Brad yelled after him.

Ty sighed but went back to the kitchen anyway. "What?" he asked irritably.

"We just told you something huge about your life Ty don't have any questions?" Jane asked in surprise at Ty's attitude.

Ty paused and his eyes swept over the people sitting at the table. "I do have one." His eyes landed on Amy and Soroya, "I didn't go out with either of you do anything with you did I?" Amy and Soroya's eyes widened in surprise but they both shook their heads anyway. "Great," Ty seemed satisfied. "I'm out." He started to back away again.

"Get back here Ty," Brad said again

"What now?" Ty asked.

"I…" Brad began to say.

"Is that all you have to say to us Ty?" Jake spoke up, the hurt painfully present in his voice.

Ty slowly turned to face Jake. "Sorry what did you want me to say? Did you want me to say that I suddenly remember all of you and than throw myself at you?" Ty's eyes swept over them critically. "Well guess what? The fact is that I don't remember any of you so that's that."

Amy slowly stood up. "Ty we just..."

Ty held up a hand for her to stop. "Before you say anything else think about what you're going to say, Amy. Out of all of your friends you're the only one I can stand, you're the only one who wasn't giving me shit about what I said my name was that day. Just don't say anything that will take you off of the list of people I like. Because the truth is I do like you, you're nice. I'd like to get to know you better and I can see myself as once being friends with you." Ty paused in his little speech. He looked at Amy and met her eyes. Than he continued in a quieter voice, "But I just don't remember you. I'll tell you one thing though, out of all of you," he gestured to everyone else sitting around the table before looking back at Amy. He pointed at her, "Out of all of these people you're the only one that I actually regret not knowing and for that I am sorry," he said sincerely.

The room was silent as Ty stopped talking. Everyone was staring at him, even Lee.

"There are you happy now?" Ty said after a moment. "I've said something. Now I'm going," Again Ty tired to walk for the door.

But again he was stopped. "Ty wait!" Amy's voice called after him.

Ty sighed and turned around, again. "What?"

Amy took something out of her pocket and thrust it at him. "Here."

"What is it?" Ty asked suspiciously as he turned the envelope around in his hands.

"It's an invitation to my sister, Lou, and Scott's wedding. It's in a week, you should come."

"Thanks but I don't think so," Ty said and tried to give the card back to Amy.

Amy's gray eyes flashed with hurt but she smiled anyway and forced him to keep it. "Think about it than."

"Fine," Ty tossed the card on the counter. "I'll keep the card but don't expect me to be there," Ty said. His voice hardened. "Let me make myself clear. I meant what I just said but that doesn't change the fact that I don't remember any of you and most likely never will. Just have your little wedding and than go back to Virginia. Forget that you ever saw me here and just forget about me. Just get out of my life and stop bothering me! Every since you people have gotten here everything's been fucked up!"

The front door could be heard opening and than slamming closed. Mick walked into the kitchen casually like he was just always walking into Ty's house, which he was so no one was surprised. "Yo Ty what's up? You were supposed to meet us at the Peak an hour ago!" he glanced around at all the people. "What are they doing here Ty?"

"They were just leaving," Ty said coldly. He looked at Mick, "Let's go." He started to follow Mick towards the door but stopped, again. Though this time no one made him stopped. He walked back over to the table and picked up the photograph that was lying on the glass top. He picked it up and ripped it down the center before tossing it into the air. The two halves floated down to lie dejectedly on the table. "That's what I think," Ty said before walking out of the door and jumping into his Ferrari. He roared off down the road.

And this time no one stopped him.

**The Peak**

After Ty's dramatic exit everyone was silent and starring at the spot where he had last been standing. Amy was the first to recover and faced Lee. "Lee can I talk to you for a sec?" Lee turned his head to slowly face her, "In private?"

"Uh sure…" Lee said slowly. He gestured for her to follow him.

Before following Lee Amy said, "Roya, Matt come on." The three friends followed the younger boy out of the room leaving the adults alone.

Lee led them into a small theater room and switched the light on before closing the door behind them. "So what do you want?" Lee asked as he eyed Amy.

"Is Ty going to another party tonight?" she asked purposefully.

"Uh yeah, I guess," Lee said looking surprised at what was going on. "Why do you want to know?" he asked warily.

"Where is the party he's going to?" Amy asked.

"I don't know," Lee said suspiciously but you could tell that he was lying.

"Please just tell me," Amy pleaded.

"Okay…" Lee said doubtfully. He grabbed a piece of paper and a pen off of the table next to one of the huge couches. He scribbled an address down on it, folded it in half and reluctantly handed it to Amy. She accepted it and stuffed it into her jeans pocket without looking at it.

Lee edged out of the room and disappeared to wherever.

"Amy what was that for?" Matt asked after a moment.

"Let's go back to the hotel," Amy said to Matt and Soroya. "We have to find Joni and Tom and tell them that we're going to a party tonight."

**The Peak**

_Later that night_

_The party_

"Are you sure about this Amy?" Soroya asked her best friend. The group of five friends was standing on front stoop of the house Lee had given them the address to. There were a lot of fancy sports cars parked along the house and in the driveway and the music blasting through the still closed door was enough to assure the friends that they were at the right place.

"Yes," Amy said firmly. She'd gotten this far and she wasn't about to back down now. After all, Ty had already admitted to everyone the he liked her and that wanted to get to know her again, and she was sure that that hadn't been an easy thing for Ty to do. Not with how he was now at least. And he was only a doorway away, literally.

"You know he's not the same as he was before Ames," Matt said comfortingly for about the fiftieth time that day.

"I know," Amy sighed. "I know he's different and that he's changed, a lot, but he's still Ty. I've wondered where he's been for two years and now that I've finally found him I'm not just going to forget about him and let him go again. I just have to know if what he said is true and if he's actually…" she paused before continuing, "And if he's actually all that different under it all."

"Well if you're sure." Matt reached out and put his hand on the doorknob. "Should we do this than?"

"Let's go," Amy affirmed.

Matt pushed open the door to reveal the entrance way to the house they were in. There were people milling around holding drinks in their hands. Amy, Soroya, Matt, Joni and Tom pushed their way through the crowd until they were facing the main part of the party. It was packed full of people, all of whom were drinking, and music was pulsing through the whole house, shaking the walls.

At the center of the room there was a group of skimpily dressed girls dancing in a sexually explicit way around two guys to the song Time to Dance by Panic! At the Disco (a/n: P!ATD is the BBBBEEEESSSTTT! You haven't heard good music till you've bought their CD, video and listened/watched all of them 50 zillion times! I'm listening to them right now! LOVE THEM! erm sorry… cough cough, I'm supposed to be sick. Tis a fucked up day is what it is, I'm all hyper) Amy's mouth dropped open when she saw that one of those guys was Ty's friend, Mick Laurence and that the other was…

Ty

Amy's heart thudded in her chest as she watched Ty smiling and laughing, obviously loving being the center of attention. She didn't know what she had been hoping for when she'd come here to find Ty tonight but she felt all of it fall apart. She felt like she was going to start crying right than and there as she watched Ty's arms slip around the impossibly skinny waist of the big busted blonde that was closest to him.

Once the song ended Ty and Mick walked off of the dance floor, much to the blondes chargin, obviously she had been hoping that tonight it would be her turn to score with the infamous Ty Baldwin. Tonight was not her night. She sauntered over to one of Ty's hot football playing friends deciding to try her luck out on him.

Ty and Mick headed towards a table where the drinks were being served. As soon as Ty was in front of the table one of the guys behind it handed Ty something that was in a shot glass. Ty accepted the glass and swung back whatever type of alcohol had been in it without even bothering to asked what was in it. He let out a loud "WHOOP!" and slammed the empty shot glass on the table. A fresh group of partiers congregated around the drink table wanting to try whatever Ty Baldwin had liked so much.

After having two more shots apiece Ty and Mick left the table and seemed to be headed right in their direction. Amy had the sudden urge to run away and hide under the covers of her plush queen sized bed at the Scottsdale Princess but she stood her ground and stayed right where she was.

Ty and Mick were strutting over to them like they owned the place, which even though the house the party was in was owned by neither of them they were the life of the party. The party _was_ for them, well as far as anyone present was concerned. If you didn't have Ty Baldwin and Mick Laurence, the two hottest seniors at Scottsdale Academy, than your party was nothing and you were shunned by the entire school population. Of course it didn't matter who you were, if Ty and Mick heard about your party and they thought it was worth it to go you were immediately in. (a/n: I have to think of something everyone calls Ty and Mick… anyone got any ideas?)

As the two closed in on the group of friends from Virginia Amy noted that both Ty and Mick appeared very drunk and wasted. Silly, dopey grins adjourned both their faces and their eyes were dancing and glassy. Amy was reminded on the face Phoenix had made when he entered the kitchen earlier that day when she looked at Ty. Like owner like… dog.

Ty's smile was whipped completely off of his face when he saw who he was walking towards. He had originally thought that they were just some new comers. The girls were hot and that was the only thing that registered in Ty's plastered brain. Much the same could be said for Mick.

"I thought," Ty said loudly to be heard over the blasting music. "That I told you to leave me alone!" surprisingly Ty was hardly slurring his words at all. Guess that's what happens when you drink this much almost every day of the week, holidays included. Albeit there was a slight slur in his speech, but it was hardly noticeable.

Amy just stared at the boy… man standing in front of her. She'd always imagined that Ty would look amazing but she never thought… not this good. Amy was surprised at her thoughts but finally managed to say something. "Ty I…"

Ty appeared to have already lost interest in them and was wondering off towards the center of the room.

Mick stayed behind his friends for a second and turned to the group of five. "I don't know what you did to Ty but stay away from him!" Mick yelled at them before loping off after Ty.

The opening chords of There's A Good Reason These Tables Are Numbered Honey, You Just Haven't Thought of It Yet by Panic! At the Disco was just beginning to blast through the speakers. (a/n: ah I love this song!)

Amy's heart lurched again when she saw Ty and Mick again surrounded by the same group of girls as before, plus some this time though. Before she could comprehend what she was about to do Amy stepped forwards, heading purposefully in the direction of Ty.

Once she reached his side she ran her hand lightly up his muscular arm and around his broad shoulders. Feeling her touch Ty turned away from whatever girl he'd chosen to dance with this time and faced Amy. His glassy eyes seemed to light up when they lay on Amy. His eyes ran up and down Amy taking in her casual flip-flops, patchwork Bermuda shorts and white t-shirt with a little pocket on the left side of her chest, both purchased at American Eagle. She'd opted for just a touch of eyeliner and lip-gloss and her long, light brown hair was left down so that it flowed in shimmering, straight sheets down her back. She'd gone for a casual look, not wanting to look like she'd tried too hard and Ty liked what he saw. She stood out from all the other girls there, the other girls were like plastic, all the same and though beautiful they were boring. This girl was different, her brown hair stood out amongst the sea of blondes and Ty liked it. She wasn't dressed in microscopic clothing that looked like it had been purchased in the toddlers section of whatever store she shopped at. She was beautiful, in a way that stood out among the others but easily surpassed all of them, her body was made of luscious curves but she didn't flaunt them and put them on show like all the others.

For the first time in his life, at least the part he could remember anyway, Ty felt something in his chest. He couldn't describe it and he didn't know what it was. But there was one thing that he knew for certain, it had something to do with the girl standing in front of him.

And for the first time since he'd moved to Scottsdale and become best friends Mick and established his reputation as a partier and someone that wasn't scared around women, he didn't think, just acted the way his body told him to, he found that he didn't trust himself. He didn't trust himself to be around Amy, didn't trust himself because of what he knew he'd end up doing. For the first time he found that he actually cared about her feelings and that he didn't want… well he wanted that but he didn't want to hurt her.

For the first time Ty Baldwin was scared of himself and his actions.

And he did the only thing he could think of at that time, he turned and ran away. Leaving Amy behind him, in the middle of dance floor, tears burning in her eyes.

Ty pushed through the throng of people trying to take him back to the dance floor and people trying to get him to drink something that they had just concocted and girls suggesting that they do inappropriate things to him. Ty ignored everything and everyone that he would normally have stopped for and walked down the hall to where he knew the bathroom was. He opened the door and than locked it behind him. He sat on the floor, his back against the door and dropped his head into his hands. All he could see was the hurt look shinning in Amy's gray eyes as he left.

And for that Ty wanted to hit himself.

**a/n: **whatcha think? Review! –Steph


	7. Break every rule

**Author Note**

Here's a new chapter, probably too soon since I have to update one of my other stories but JustAGirlWithADream threatened not to update her stories AND send her private investigator after me… you so do not want to know. So anyhoo… here's a new chapter since I didn't fancy having… what ever it is private investigators do to you done to me. Hope you like it! Review! Oh it starts with Ty in the bathroom, right where it left off. Ty has a conscious! Wow! Hmmm didn't really plan on that happening, in that chapter at least, but I can work with it. The big question now is does he choose to listen to it? Review! –Steph

**Important: **Missy's actually going to be 22, not 25.

**Disclaimer: **Everything recognizable belongs to Lauren Brook

**The Peak**

**Chapter 7**

After a minute or so Ty lifted his head. He looked around the immaculate bathroom, contempt and disgust building inside. He was in the bathroom, at a killer party… alone. Ty Baldwin does not hide in bathrooms. "Shit!" he swore loudly as he stood up and stumbled slightly in his drunken state. He staggered over to the sink and put a hand on either side and stared at his reflection in the mirror. His brown hair was flopping characteristically over his eyes but he made no movement to move it. His eyes had previously been tipsy and dancing with drunken happiness was now like emeralds burning and lit with fire. Ty kicked the sink in frustration and growled in pain as his foot connected with the hard marble. He caught sight of the bar of soup lying on the side of the sink and picked it up. He tossed it in the air and caught it easily before throwing it with all the strength he could muster at the tiled wall. It made a 'thump' as it connected and than fell to the floor below where it lay forgotten.

Ty stalked out of the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind him. It banged shut with such force that a couple in the hallway who were heavily making out and had hands wandering boldly tore their lips from each other and looked over in surprise. Ty glared icily at the couple and continued down the hallway.

As he rounded the corner at the end of the hall he almost collided with Mick. "Hey man where were you?" Mick asked giddily and chugged half of the glass filled with a foaming light brown liquid that was held in his hand. "So who was in the bathroom with you?"

Ty grabbed the glass from Mick and gulped down the remaining liquid. The alcohol left a warm trail down to Ty's stomach and he grinned happily as his problems left his head. The tossed the now empty glass back to Mick but even from the close range his drunkenness caused him to miss the glass. Drops of beer sprayed the pair as the glass flipped in the air and than crashed to the floor. As it hit the hardwood floor the tall, old-fashioned bar glass shattered into thousands of little pieces of glass that flew everywhere.

Ty and Mick found this hysterically funny and almost collapsed from laughing so hard.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" a male voice exclaimed from behind them.

Ty and Mick straightened and turned to see Matt and Tom facing them, Joni, Soroya and Amy were standing behind them. Ty snickered again as he saw them, "I thought I told you to fuck of farmies."

"You were just a major dick head to my friend!" Matt burst out. The couple down the hallway again stopped their intense make out session and watched them interestedly. "I think you owe an apology."

Ty's eyes flickered over Amy and her gray eyes met his vivid green ones. He saw hurt and confusion written all across her face and for that he felt bad knowing he was responsible for those feelings but he was too wasted to register much of anything. "Apology?" Ty asked and glanced at Mick. "Hey Mick when's the last time I apologized for anything?"

"Dunno man, not recently that's for sure," Mick slurred his words slightly.

Ty nodded in agreement. "I also believe I have the right to decide who and who I don't want to dance with."

"You know you're nothing like the Ty we used to know!" Amy suddenly burst out and stepped in front of Matt so that she was facing Ty dead on. "That Ty was nice and considerate of other peoples' feelings. All you are is an ass."

"I sound like I used to be a fag," Ty said disgustedly. "Pathetic, I was a goody-two-shoes, where's the fun?"

"Ty was not a fag!" Amy yelled furiously.

"Well he sure as hell didn't know how to have a good time!" Ty yelled back. He was only a few feet away from Amy at this point.

"Yes he did!" Amy yelled firmly. "He just didn't need to be drunk to have a good time!" Amy shot back fierily. "He didn't need alcohol or a pack of skimpily dressed women!"

"Oh sorry, I forgot. He scooped horse shit for fun!"

Tom and Matt looked at each other worriedly and stepped in between the once best friends before they could get their hands on each other and kill the other. "Okay now I think…" Matt began to say.

Ty shoved Matt to the side and his back slammed against the wall. "I said _fuck off_," Ty spat venomously.

"You're sad!" Amy cried out. "You call the old Ty pathetic but look at you!" her gray eyes filled with tears. "I was better off not knowing where you were! I wish I'd never even found you!"

Ty was taken aback but quickly recovered. "Than you should have kept out of my fucking business and stayed away!" he retorted.

Amy's eyes flashed with hurt at Ty's words. They were spoken through drunkenness but that didn't mean they weren't true. "Maybe," Amy said softly, "It would have been better if you had died in the tornado."

The hallway was silent and the music pounded on in the next room. Now it was Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off by Panic! At The Disco. Whoever was in charge of the DJ-ing sure like Panic! At The Disco. Not that it mattered because they were great and the next big thing.

Finally, Ty replied bitterly, "Well than think of me as dead." He started to walk back to the main swell of the party with Mick when Amy called out behind him.

"But you're not dead!"

Ty froze where he was and slowly turned around. "The Ty you keep going on about is."

"Well you're different," Amy said hurriedly. "But you're still Ty. I never thought I'd ever see you again!"

"And after tonight you won't," Ty stated. "Just leave."

"But…" Amy began in a voice filled with hurt. She stopped as a few tears leaked out from her eyes. She looked down at the floor that was littered with broken glass and blinked rapidly.

"Fucking hell!" Ty exclaimed after a moment. "What the hell do you people want from me? Can't you see that I don't want to have anything to do with you! Just go have your wedding and than get the hell out of Arizona!"

A look of pain flashed across Amy's face, this was not what she'd been expecting to happen if she ever saw Ty again. It went differently in her head, she liked that way better.

Before she could think of a reply a distinctly feminine and familiar voice echoed down the hallway. "Hot stuffs!" Ty and Mick whipped around to see Missy prancing over to them. She was wearing a pair of dark washed Seven For All Mankind jeans and a black pinstriped blazer over a fitted navy blue t-shirt. Her long blonde hair fell down her back and over her shoulder and her clear blue eyes sparkled. Right after work she has swapped her new pair of pointy toed leather boots for the black and white Converse All Star sneakers that adorned her feet now.

"Gorgeous!" Mick exclaimed as Missy reached their side. He kissed her on the cheek and draped an arm across her slim shoulders.

"Hey sexy," Ty greeted her and kissed her.

"Oooo this is so much fun!" Missy gushed. "I got off work earlier than I expected and decided to come!"

"Awesome," Ty said appreciatively. "Now things might go better. Hey do you want something to drink? I could go for another drink."

"I'd kill for a good drink," Missy said. "You seem to have hit the bar pretty good already," she commented as she eyed Mick and Ty.

Mick shrugged and a silly, drunk grin broke across his handsome face. "Hey, ya snooze ya loose."

"They got good drinks though," Ty added. "The kid mixing them sure as hell knows what he's doing." The kid that was mixing the drinks, Mike Alfred, wasn't one of Ty's good friends but after a praise like that from Ty Baldwin Mike Alfred was in with the In-Crowd. Mike nodded his shaggy blonde head in agreement rigorously. Mike Alfred was better than in now, he had received the consent and respect from the two It boys.

"Great," Missy enthused. "I _hate_ bad drinks."

"Don't we all," Ty said with a grimace. He could vividly; well as vivid as anything can be when you're drunk or stoned out of your mind, recall several parties where the drinks had tasted like toilet water and laundry detergent. Needless to say, those kids were immediately out. But on the high point the drinks had had the desired affect and than some.

"Let's go," Mick said a bit eagerly. He almost steered Missy away from the others without her even seeing Amy and Matt, Soroya, Tom and Joni but no such luck.

"Hold on," Missy said and stopped Mick. She peered around Ty's tall and muscular body, he'd conveniently positioned himself in between the two groups. Recognition dawned in Missy's eyes as she eyed the five friends. "Hey what are you guys doing here?"

There was silence for a moment from the friends from Virginia. Finally, Tom cleared his throat, "Uh we were just hanging around, you know…"

"Awesome," Missy beamed. Her eyes brightened as an idea dawned on her, "Hey do you guys want to get drinks with us?"

"No," Ty said for them. "They were just leaving."

"Actually," Amy said with a sharp glance at Ty, "Drinks would be great."

Ty shuddered in anger and turned to Mick and tried to say calmly but he couldn't disguise or keep all the anger from seeping into his deep voice. "These people just don't know the meaning of _fuck off_. Do they?"

Mick shook his head in seemingly despair, "I guess they don't teach stuff like that at Hicksville High."

Amy rounded on the cocky pair looking furious. She moved her mouth but no words came out. Ty and Mick grinned dopily in triumph.

"Amy?" Matt spoke up. "Remember Scott and Lou wanted us back at the hotel soon for that…" Matt paused and tried to find a good excuse. He managed to find a suitable one just in time, "Dessert testing thing for the wedding?"

Amy looked confused for a moment but nodded when it dawned on her what Matt was trying to do. "Oh right, I almost forgot. Sorry we'll just be leaving," she said to Missy.

"Oh well tell Scott and Lou I'm looking forward to the big day!" Missy said. Amy nodded and than they proceeded to walk off down the hall, over to the big front door and outside.

As soon as they were out of ear shot Ty asked, "So who's up for drinks?"

**The Peak**

_Scottsdale Prep_

_Monday morning_

Ty sat slumped in the way too small, in his opinion, desk. His long, khaki shorts clad legs were jutting out from under the desks top and sticking into the aisle, if you were walking down the aisle than you'd have to jump over Ty's legs because he was not about to move them. His elbow was propped on the desk and his head was resting in his hand, his shaggy brown hair falling ceremoniously across his face. Despite the long brown hair two brilliant green emeralds stared out from under the bottom of the hair.

Scottsdale Academy's uniform changed in the warmer months to a pair of khaki shorts, a white polo and, for the boys, their navy blue and dark red diagonally stripped tie. Ty's tie hung loosely around his neck and was partially covering the Academy's crest that was displayed on the left side of Ty's mandatory white, school polo.

Ty had gotten home at 2:30 a.m., after a long night of partying with Missy and Mick. He'd had more to drink and had forgotten all about Amy and what had happened earlier in the night; now those memories reinvaded his mind. This morning Ty had somehow managed to drag himself out of bed at 7:50, pull on the first school uniform that he could find and shove on his black Vans skater shoes. He'd arrived to school at the beginning of his first period French class. He broke the first rule of the day, 'Thou shalt not be late for thy's studies.'

Now Ty was in an afternoon class whose name he couldn't remember for the life of him. All he new was that it was boring as hell and the teacher was droning on and on about some war that happened hundreds of years ago. Ty thought it might have been the French Revolution but he wasn't bothered enough to actually pay attention.

Ty stared out of the huge window on the left side of his desk and stared longingly at Pinnacle Peak, you could see the mountain's funny top over the top of one of the schools other building. What Ty wouldn't give to be basking in the sunshine on the top of the Peak in one of his spots of the trail right now. But instead he was stuck inside, in school and listening to the most boring lecture in the history of boring lectures about King Louis XVI (16th) and his stupid… something, Ty wasn't quite sure what they were talking about exactly. And quite frankly, he didn't give a wheelbarrow full of horse shit, kind of ironic considering the circumstances.

His phone buzzed in his pocket and Ty fished it out. Mindless to the rule of 'Thou shalt not use mobile phones in thy class' Ty flipped it open and didn't even try to be discreet about it as he ordered, "Talk to me."

"Hey hot stuff!" Came Missy's voice in a sing-song tone through his ear.

"Hey sexy what's…"

"Mr. Baldwin!" his teacher said sounding outraged. The portly man with pit stains faced Ty with his arms folded over his bulging stomach and quite large man boobs. "You know the rule! No cell phones in cl…"

"…Up?" Ty concluded without so much as a glance in his teachers direction.

"Not much what about you hot stuff?"

"Oh you know, about to die in some stupid class," Ty said casually. He heard his teacher huff and than the shuffling of his clown sized tuxedo shoes, that clashed horrifically with his beige tweed pants that were way too tight around his whale sized butt and fell at least 2 inches above his ankles, coming towards him. His large stomach jiggled over the rim of his pants as he waddled forwards.

"Oh I forgot, you have school!" Missy exclaimed. "I was going to see if you and Mick wanted to meet me at the Four Seasons for lunch."

"Awesome we'll be there in ten minutes," Ty said.

"Really? But you're in school…"

"So?" Ty asked and sounded like he really didn't know why that was such a big deal. "I can ditch."

"Seriously?" Missy asked, not sounding quite sure.

"Definitely," Ty said casually as Mr. Bender, the teacher, reached his desk. "Any longer and I would have died." Mr. Bender reached out a fat hand and tried to grab Ty's RAZR with his stubby, hairy and yellow nailed fingers. Ty put up a hand and waved him off, this action earned a few laughs from his peers but it made Mr. Bender furious.

"Mr. Baldwin if you would ple…" he began. Ty grimaced as the smell of onions and garlic reached his nose.

"We'll meet you in ten, kay gorgeous?" Ty continued despite the horrific stench.

Mr. Bender looked confused, and thinking that Ty had been talking to him he began, "Mr. Baldwin that is an inappropriate way to talk to your teachers! As rule number 34 stated, 'Thou shalt not show any disrespect to thy teachers.'"

With a final farewell to Missy Ty stood up and faced Mr. Bender. "Uh I wasn't talking to you." than he turned towards Mick he was sitting a couple desks behind Ty. "Come on Mick we're meeting Missy at the Four Seasons for lunch."

Mick grinned widely; he was just as bored as Ty. "Cool, let's blow this joint." Mick stood up and shoved the papers and notebook on his desk into his black book bag. Ty did the same, crumpling a few of his papers as he did so.

"Mr. Baldwin, Mr. Laurence!" Mr. Bender shuffled behind the two boys as they walked towards the classroom door. "Just where do you think you're going?"

Mr. Bender attempted to head them off at the door and block the exit but Ty and Mick were a good two feet taller than Mr. Bender, not to mention the were fit and didn't have an ounce of extra fat on their bodies, Mr. Bender had enough for five people. And that was forgetting the fact that Ty and Mick were athletes, the only sport that Mr. Bender could possibly do was eating contests.

"We're out," Ty said as he reached for the brass door handle and swung the wooden door opened.

"You cannot just leave this school in the middle of the day!" Mr. Bender fumed. "As rule number 26 states, 'Thou shalt not leave thy school premises in thy midst of thy school day'! Boys! Get back here or I'll…" the door slammed shut in Mr. Bender's face, almost catching his large, and toucan like nose in the action. He jumped back in surprise and almost toppled over on top of the poor student who was sitting minding his own business in the desk closest to the door.

Mr. Bender rushed, as fast as he could, fat bouncing and jiggling all over the place as if it all had its own mind and wanted to go in a different direction, back to the door and swung it opened and was set to go after the two offending teenagers but Ty and Mick were already dashing down the hallway completely ignorant to the rule 'thou shalt not run in thy halls'. They burst out of the wide front doors and jumped down the stairs, the whole time laughing their heads off about Mr. Bender's expression as they left the room.

Ty got into his black Ferrari convertible, top down of course, and Mick got into his hunter green Corvette convertible, again the top was obviously down. They stepped on the gas as they zoomed out of the school parking lot breaking another rule in the process, 'Thou shalt not drive at excessive speeds on thy schools grounds.'

But as Ty and Mick's motto said, 'Break Every Rule.' And that they did.

**The Peak**

_The Four Seasons _

Ten minutes later the two sports cars swung into two adjacent parking spots outside the Four Seasons. The building was gorgeous, uncountable stories high and the grounds were immaculate. The grass was perfectly green and the bushes were trimmed perfectly. The Prickly Pear Cactus were sprouting colorful blossoms and the various species of cacti and flowers and exotic plants were assembled in precise patterns and mazes around the grounds. Towering palm trees bordered the long drive up to the hotel.

The main lobby was just as beautiful as the outside but Ty and Mick shrugged aside the beauty and headed towards the entrance to the restaurant.

They walked into the restaurant and jumped a head of the small line of people waiting to be seated receiving some foul looks in the process but Ty and Mick either didn't notice at all or they just didn't care.

"Excuse me Sirs but can I help you?" A waiter stopped them before they were able to make it into the formal dinning area. He had black hair that was combed neatly to the side and was wearing black pants, a white button down and a black silk vest finished off with a neat black bowtie.

"We're looking for Missy Brown," Ty said lazily. His eyes skittered around the business men and women who were enjoying a break from the office and having a leisurely lunch. There were various set of women sitting around and chatting amiably in the mix. All were dressed in boring, dark colored clothing. "There she is," Ty said suddenly.

Ty and Mick pushed past the gay waiter and headed towards the table that Missy was sitting alone at, waiting for them to arrive. It hadn't been hard to spot her, her brightly colored wardrobe stood out quite plainly from all the other suits. She was wearing a pair or aqua colored flat sandals that tied at the ankles with silky ribbons, a black skirt that floated down to her knees and was intricately embroidered with millions of different colored tiny beads along the hem and a silky aqua colored blouse that fit tightly and was buttoned up to her chest were it fell opened and revealed some cleavage, Missy was not lacking in this area, and the edges of her lacey black pushup bra. Her blue eyes were shinning bright and sparkling like the light hitting the water in the pool in Ty's backyard on a sunny day. Her hair was in a loose ponytail and was draped over one shoulder. She was delicately sipping a glass of red wine.

Missy stood up when she saw Ty and Mick approaching. "Hey hot stuffs," she gave her customary greeting as Ty and Mick reached the table. A huge smile broke out across her face as she eyed them up and down. "Don't you just look ah-dorable in your matching outfits!" she said giddily.

Ty and Mick looked at each other and noticed for the first time, even though it was obvious, that they were wearing the same exact thing. Khaki shorts, a white polo and tie. It would have been embarrassing for most people to be seen in a fancy place such as, the Four Seasons in their school uniform but Ty and Mick made it work. Their ties were hanging loosely around their neck and did not lie straight down their chests. Their hair, as per the usual, was flopped in front of their eyes. All in all they gave of a kind of bad boy meets high school look. It was hot.

"You started drinking without us," Ty accused as he caught sight of the partially drunk bottle of red wine sitting by Missy's half full glass.

"You started without me the other night," Missy retorted with a winning smile.

Ty grinned his trademark grin; she did have a point there. Mick sat down on Missy's right and Ty took the empty chair on her left. After Ty and Mick's wine glasses had both been filled with a healthy portion of the red liquid Ty eyes Missy up and down. "You look hot," he commented.

"More than hot," Mick agreed. "Sexy."

"Totally," Ty nodded his head vigorously. Missy was probably one of the only women that Ty knew, that wasn't his parents' age that he or Mick hadn't done something with. Missy was a friend and Mick and Ty had no problem with that.

Missy grinned widely displaying two rows of perfectly straight and almost, but not quite, blindingly white teeth. "Well my two little hot stuffs are just bursting with hotness today," she said breezily.

After they had ordered their food they quickly drained the bottle of wine and had to order another as they chatted. Fifteen minutes later Mick glanced at the entrance of the restaurant and his eyes froze on a large group that was just entering the dinning area and seemed to be headed to the empty table that was situated right next to him and his friends.

A silly grin broke across his face as he realized just who was in the new group. He turned to Ty and said, "Ty you'll just never guess who just walked in."

**a/n: **there ya go JAGWAD (abbreviated your name because it's so long)! All specially updated just for you so you wouldn't deprive me of FLSG! So what did you guys think? Review! -Steph


	8. One step forwards no steps backwards

**Authors Note**

Guess what? GhostKitty00 is going to (probably) update The College Life this weekend! I've been told to spread the word so this is me spreading the word! If it's already up by the time this is posted than… just ignore this. And this chapter is extra long just for you, JustAGirlWithADream, because you awarded me the Fastest Typer of the Year Award! -Steph

**Disclaimer: **Everything recognizable was created and is owned by Lauren Brooke

**The Peak**

**Chapter 8**

Ty swished the red wine around in his glass. "I give up," he said sounding bored. "Who's here?"

Mick grinned even bigger. Ty's sounding bored didn't even faze him; it was Ty's forte to sound bored all the time. "They're walking around the tables… now they're coming to the table right behind you… now they're sitting at the table behind you; damn there are a lot of them… oooo now they're looking over here… now…" Mick stopped his running commentary on what was happening behind Ty as he received one of Ty's look from Ty himself. While Ty's 'look' would have most people quaking their shoes Mick again breezed through it unfazed. He'd been best friends with Ty for two years, he was used to it.

"Who is it Mick?" Ty asked as he took a rather large gulp of his wine.

"It's the Stalkaratsi," Mick replied gleefully. Mick had had, perhaps, a bit too much wine.

"The Stalka who?" Ty asked in confusion. His eyebrows furrowed making him look even hotter.

"The Stalkaratsi!" Mick repeated.

"Should that mean something to me?" Ty asked as he took another sip from his wine glass. He drained its remaining content.

"Dude just look behind you," Mick finally said.

Ty set down his now empty glass and raised an eyebrow in Mick's direction. The grin re-broke out across Mick's stunningly handsome face as he gestured for Ty to look. Ty sighed and turned slightly in his chair so that he had a better view of the table behind him. All he saw was a huge table that looked like it sat twenty people, and all the seats were occupied. All Ty saw was a bunch of people's backs. He opened his mouth in irritation and was set turn around when something caught his eye. He turned back around and groaned in exasperation as it finally registered who the people were.

"Shit," Ty muttered as he turned back around, hoping that they hadn't seen him. "Those people are getting on my last nerve," Ty said to Mick. Mick chuckled softly as his friends' reaction. Ty looked at Missy, "Hey gorgeous?"

"Yeah hot stuff?" Missy said in response as she turned back to face Ty.

"Don't…" Ty began but was interrupted.

"Look who it is!" Missy squealed as she caught sight of the next table. She jumped out of her chair as the people turned to look at her.

"…Say anything," Ty finished as he stared at Missy's now empty chair.

Mick grabbed the half empty bottle of wine and was about to refill his glass when he burst into silent laughter.

"Hi I'm Missy Brown!" Missy's voice chirped at the next table. "I'm Scott and Lou's wedding planner at SASSI!" Ty began to wonder if Missy had somewhat downplayed the amount of wine she'd consumed before his and Mick's arrival. But he shrugged off the thought. Why should he care how much someone had had to drink? It wasn't like he was at all conservative in his alcohol consumption either.

All the other people at the table were introduced to Missy and shook all of their hands in turn, those who she had not already met that is.

"And these are my bitches," Missy said and the comment earned a laugh from the rest of the table. Ty grabbed the bottle of wine from Mick's hand just as he was about to start pouring it into his glass and some of the red liquid sloshed onto the white table cloth. He didn't even bother to pour some in his glass. Just as the bottle reached his lips Missy's hand yanked it away. "Ah ah ah hot stuff! That's for everybody," Missy told him a 'scolding' voice. Ty picked up his empty glass and managed to scavenge a few precious drops before Missy yanked him out of his chair. "Ty Baldwin and Mick Laurence," Missy said and pointed to each of them as she said their name. Mick nodded casually as he picked at a roll of half eaten bread on his plate.

"No school today Ty?" Jake suddenly asked Ty.

Ty slowly turned to face the old man and smirked. "There was, we're cutting." Jake frowned, along with all the people who had known Ty before the accident. Ty revealed in their shocked looks. "It was boring as hell so we ditched and met Gorgeous for lunch," Ty told them. It wasn't necessary for him to tell them that information and under normal circumstances he wouldn't have but he was enjoying their reactions too much. Jake's frown deepened and he opened his mouth to say something but Ty cut him off. "Now you're going to tell me that the 'old Ty'," Ty lifted his hands and made air quotes around the two words, "Never cut school. But I don't really give a shit what 'old Ty' was like," Ty grinned in satisfaction at his little speech and sat down.

Everyone was silent after Ty's outburst. Mick snickered and said, "Man that was good. You got Ty to talk for more than two words at a time!" he gave a cheesy thumbs-up sign to the other table and winked. "That was deep Ty, bravo," Mick lightly clapped his hands together in mock appreciation.

Ty, who was never at a lose for a comeback, smirked and addressed the other table lightly. "Don't listen to him," Ty advised the group. "He's just pissed that no one was interested in him at the party last night, it was all me," Ty added and leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

Mick's face remained passive but navy blue eyes sparked playfully. "You didn't get any either," Mick retorted.

"When's the last time you did?" Ty shot back.

"Last night Ty, same as you. 'Member those twins? Damn what were their names…?" Mick trailed off and tilted his head back. After only a few seconds he shrugged. He turned to face Ty. "Do you remember?"

"I think the one I was with was named Serena," Ty said.

Mick cocked his head to the side contemplatively. "Nah man, I think _I_ was with Serena." He paused and looked lost in thought, suddenly his head jerked up straight again and he held a finger in the air triumphantly. "I've got it. I was with Serena and you were with Maria."

Ty nodded his head. "Yep that's it, Maria." He paused again, "Actually I'm not sure…"

"What the hell," Mick said. "They're identical twins."

"Good point," Ty agreed with his best friend. "Like we'd actually remember who was who," he reasoned.

"Exactly," Mick nodded his head firmly and the blonde hair around his face fell into a new position. "I…" he trailed off as he caught sight of the twenty odd people sitting at the other table starring at them, some of their mouths being open. "Catching bugs?" Mick drawled out.

The mouths immediately snapped closed but for the most part the shocked, and somewhat horrified and disgusted, looks remained present. None looked to be more appalled than Amy, however.

"Did you want something?" Ty asked, his voice subconsciously reverting back to its normal, bored tone.

**The Peak**

"Did you want something?" The intensity of the boredom and uncaring in Ty's voice chilled Amy. This wasn't the Ty she remembered.

"He's cute!" Amy's 11-year-old half-sister, Lily, whispered in Amy's ear.

All Amy could do was bob her head slightly. After a short conversation with Scott and Lou Missy sat back down at her table and seemingly became engrossed in conversation with her 'bitches', as she had so lovingly referred to Mick and Ty.

"I think he likes you!" Lily whispered next in Amy's ear.

Amy was starring at the back of Ty's head and was not really paying much attention so she started to nod her head once again. She stopped mid-bob when Lily's words registered. She turned to her half-sister and furrowed her eyebrows. "How do you figure?" Amy did not see how Ty had done anything to show that he liked her.

"He was looking at you a minute ago," Lily said excitedly. Amy started to shake her head to the side. "No really!" Lily insisted. "When you were talking to Oooh," even though Lily was now fully capable of saying 'Lou' her childhood name for her oldest half-sister had stuck.

For some absurd reason Amy's heart fluttered at Lily's words. "I don't think so Lil's," she said and pushed all her feelings down and away.

"I heard you guys talking about him before," Lily remarked, "You, Soroya, Matt, Joni and Tom. You're the only one he's nice to."

Amy snorted light enough that only a harder gust of air came out of her nose. She remembered how they'd yelled at each other the night before, that had hardly been a nice exchange. "Hardly," Amy mumbled and fiddled with the white cloth napkin that was laid across her lap.

"Not from what I heard," Lily said playfully. "I think you like him too," she added and shot a quick glance at Amy before she took a sip from her water glass.

Amy attempted to laugh off Lily's comment like it was no big deal and the silliest thing she had ever heard. "That's funny Lily."

"How?" Lily asked sounding confused. "I was serious," she added.

Amy sighed and pushed a hand through her long, light brown hair. "First, I don't even know him and second he's…" Amy trailed of, looking for the right word to describe Ty. "Not how I thought he'd be," she finally mumbled.

"Well it _has_ been two years since you last saw him," Lily said logically. "He's bound to have changed heaps. Two years is a long time."

"Are you sure you're only 11?" Amy asked Lily humorously.

Lily shrugged, "That's what my birth certificate says." Lily looked across the table to where here mother, Helena, was seated. Helena asked Lily a question and Lily responded good humouredly.

Amy couldn't help herself; she looked back at Ty's table. They looked like they were having a goodtime. A waiter presented them with a fresh bottle of wine and Ty accepted it. He popped open the cork and refilled all of their glasses almost to the very top. He than set the bottle down and picked up his glass and took a sip. Ty set his glass down as he started to laugh at something Missy had just said. Mick scowled and Missy reached over and ruffled his hair, Mick scowled even more but it just made Ty laugh harder. Amy felt a surprising surge of jealousy as she watched Missy, all gorgeous six feet of curves and confidence that she absolutely shone of. Amy wished that it was she who was making Ty laugh like that…

Surprised at her own thoughts Amy extinguished them before they could prosper and become anything more. _I'm being stupid_, she told herself repeatedly.

Mick caught her watching them and nodded at her slightly before he turned back to Ty and said something to him. Amy managed to turn her head away before Ty could look over but she felt his eyes on her nonetheless.

Just than a waiter came up to their table and moved around the table, taking everyone's orders. After Amy had placed her order for lunch she discreetly looked back over at Ty's table. Now Mick was the one laughing and though Amy couldn't see Ty's face she guessed that it was something about Ty, if the way Mick pointed at Ty through his laughter was any indication. A second later Ty reached into the pocket of his khaki shorts and extracted his silver RAZR, he flipped the phone open and said something into it, Amy couldn't hear what he said over the voices at her table. Ty excused himself from his table, stood up and walked out of the restaurant, his phone still held to his ear.

Without realizing what she was doing Amy stood up from her chair and upon being asked where she was going she said she was going to the bathroom. She left and followed Ty out of the restaurant. No one besides Lily noticed that Amy was walking in the opposite direction of the bathrooms. Lily smiled to herself and chose not to bring attention to that fact and turned back to her conversation.

Amy exited the restaurant and found Ty in the hotels lobby. He was leaning against one of the walls talking on his cell phone. His back was turned to Amy so he didn't notice she was standing right behind him.

**The Peak **

"I'll be there," Ty said into his phone firmly. He paused as he listened to what the other person was saying. "I already told you," he said sounding annoyed. "Yes, 7:30 tonight." He paused again as listened intently to what was being said to him. "The Ferrari?" Ty snorted at whatever was just said to him, it was something he obviously thought was ridiculous. "What else would I bring?" there was a longer pause this time as the person on the other end spoke. "Mick Laurence, he's got the Vet," Ty said suddenly. "Who's yours?" Ty laughed at whatever was said in response. "And what do you have?" Ty's eyes opened wide at what had just been said to him. "A Lamb?" Ty gave a long, appreciative whistle as the person on the other end confirmed. "Sweet." Ty's eyes sparked as a sudden idea struck him, "What's say we up the stakes?" he said casually. Ty didn't need to elaborate what he was talking about; the person on the other end knew what Ty was implying and readily agreed. "It's a deal," Ty said. "Tonight, 7:30, Dead Mans Curve, don't be late," Ty ordered. "Best of luck to you my brotha'," Ty said into the phone. "You're going down, just like last time." Ty flipped the phone shut without waiting for a reply. He dropped it into his pocket and turned around, almost colliding with Amy.

Amy stumbled back in surprise. Ty reached out and grabbed her shoulders to steady her. "Oh, um, sorry!" Amy said hurriedly. "I was just uh… looking for the bathroom."

Ty eyed her suspiciously, he didn't believe her. "How long have you been standing there?" he demanded.

"Um… not long," Amy said lamely.

"What did you hear?" Ty interrogated her.

"Nothing really…" Amy trailed. She'd heard his whole conversation but she didn't understand any of what was said. "I'll just be uh going now." Amy turned around and started to hurry off, back to the dinning area but Ty grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.

"I don't think so," Ty said and steered her to the middle of the lobby where there were couches and chairs arrayed. There were several people sitting there but Ty didn't pay them any attention as he pushed Amy down onto one of the couches and took a seat of the coffee table directly in front of her. His green eyes were hard and cold and appraised her suspiciously. "What did you hear?" he asked again.

"Nothing," Amy said uncomfortably. Ty raised an eyebrow, just one, in disbelief. Amy sighed. "Okay fine. I just heard that something was happening at 7:30 tonight at Dead Mans Curve and you made a deal or a bet or something with whomever you were talking to."

Ty groaned and pushed a hand through his hair, a surefire sign that he was nervous, which wasn't often. "Look," he sighed and looked back up at Amy, "Just don't tell anyone what you heard, okay?"

"Why not?" Amy asked, it was her turn to be suspicious now. "What are you going to do?"

"Nothing," Ty replied just a tad too quickly for Amy's liking. "Just forget you heard anything and don't try to come later."

"What happens if I do?" Amy retorted.

Ty grimaced. "I don't want to think about it and you don't want know. If you know what's good for you than just stay away, preferably far away."

Amy leaned back against the plush couch and crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't understand you," she said and stared at Ty.

"Is that a bad thing?" Ty said back. "You don't have any reason to."

"You know," Amy began after a minute of silence, "We used to be best friends once. I knew everything about you and you knew everything about me. It's just weird that I don't know you at all more."

Ty looked out of one of the floor to ceiling windows contemplatively, "Well I guess that's what happens," Ty said eventually.

"I guess," Amy agreed. The two lapsed into silence for several minutes. Amy broke the silence when she decided that it was time to voice the question that had been bugging her so much. "Do you really not remember anything about Heartland, horses or about… me?" she asked tentatively.

Ty didn't answer right away, just kept looking out of the window to where the championship size golf course could be seen in the distance. There were little golf cabbies zipping around the grounds. Amy wondered if he had even heard question and was internally wrestling over if she should ask it again or just drop the topic all together. "Have you ever been in one of those golf carts?" Ty asked suddenly.

"I… what?" Amy asked in confusion.

Ty looked back at Amy and flashed her his trademark smile. "Golf carts," he repeated slowly. He picked his hands up and positioned them in front of his chest and mimed steering a steering wheel. "Have you ever been in one?"

"Oh," Amy said but she was still somewhat confused. "No why?"

"They're so much fun," Ty said with an insane grin. "They only go like 15 mph but it's awesome to drive them around the course. My dad and Mick's dad play golf together on the weekends and Mick and I used to drive their carts for them. But never a caddie," Ty said and shook his head in disgust. "Anyway," he continued, "When they were playing the hole we'd, Mick and I, race each other around." Ty smiled at the memory. "Those were some good times but than the course officials banned us from driving them anymore because we almost ran over a pair of old geezers. We didn't hit them even, though; they did fall into the pond."

Amy couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips. She smiled when it finally occurred to her that she was having a real conversation with Ty, and that he seemed almost like his old self when he wasn't around other people.

"You want to go try it?" Ty asked suddenly.

"What?" Amy said in surprise. "Like drive a gold cart?" Ty nodded eagerly. "Now? Like right now?"

"Sure," Ty said with a shrug, "Why not?"

"Well," Amy said and glanced behind her to the entrance to the restaurant. "What about lunch and all?"

"They can wait," Ty said easily. "So what do you say?"

Amy giggled again, it surprised her, she wasn't the giggling type. "Can you even do that? Just go out and steal a cart I mean? Don't have to like play golf to get one of them?"

"Oh yeah," Ty said and his smile fell. Amy had the sudden urge to make him smile like that again but pushed it away. "I forgot about that." Suddenly Ty's face lit up again, "I've got a better idea," he said.

Amy laughed; this was almost like old times when Ty would be scheming something and come up with absurd ideas of things and try to get Amy to do them. He almost always succeed. "What?"

Ty shoved his hand into one of the front pockets on his khaki shorts and pulled out a set of glimmering keys. He dangled them around in the air in front of Amy's face and the clacked together invitingly. "Let's take the Ferrari out for a drive," he suggested. "It goes faster than the golf carts," he said with a grin.

"What?" Amy said again but this time it was in surprise. "I… no I can't," she said quickly with a shake of her head even though she was highly tempted to take Ty up on his offer. "We should get back to our lunch," she suggested.

"Aw come on, only for ten minutes," Ty whined. He held the keys in front of her again, "I'll let you drive…" Ty said and waved the keys around invitingly.

"Well…" Amy trailed of playfully. "I suppose if it's only for ten minutes…" she didn't know what possessed her but she grabbed the keys from Ty's outstretched hand giddily and stood up. She started to walk towards the door but stopped halfway there. She turned to face Ty and cocked her head at him questioningly, "Are you coming or what?"

Ty snapped out of his dazed expression and jumped up. "Of course," he answered and walked over to her.

Amy grinned wider and spun back around, her long hair fanning out around her. She started walking again and a few seconds later Ty reached her side and draped an arm around her slender shoulder. Amy shivered in contentment and couldn't help but feeling that his arm felt so right there. It was so weird, she'd been sure that Ty hated her up until ten minutes ago.

When they reached the door Ty, unfortunately, in Amy's opinion, slipped his arm from around her shoulders and opened the door for her. She smiled up at him and was about to walk through when I voice halted them.

"Where _are_ you two going?" a voice sang over to them. Amy and Ty whipped around to see Mick standing a few feet away grinning madly. Amy backed away from the still opened door and Ty let go of the handle so that it fell closed again.

"Nowhere," Ty said quickly.

"Uh huh," Mick said disbelievingly. "The real question is, however, were you just going to leave me here?" Amy couldn't help but laughing at Mick's puppy-dog eyes.

"What about Gorgeous?" Ty asked. Amy's smile dropped completely off her face as she heard Ty calling Missy 'Gorgeous', what she didn't know, however, was that just like Missy called Mick and Ty 'Hot Stuff', 'Gorgeous' was their nickname for her. Mick noticed the change in Amy after Ty's words but chose to bypass it for the moment.

"Actually," Mick started, "I was coming out to look for you. The food's here."

"Oh okay," Ty said, ghe looked a little disappointed.

"Yeah," Amy said. "I should be getting back to my table too." She started to walk back towards the dinning area but stopped and turned around as she remembered something. She faced Ty and held up his keys, Mick's eyes widened in surprise as he caught sight of the keys to Ty's Ferrari in Amy's hands, Ty never let _anyone_ drive that car, it was like his child. His eyes only proceeded to get even wider as he listened to the exchange that followed, "Sorry," Amy said quickly. "Here your keys."

Ty eyed the keys but didn't except them, "Keep them," he told her. Mick almost choked in surprise.

"What?" Amy asked, just as surprised as Mick.

"I promised you could drive the Ferrari didn't I?" Ty responded casually.

Amy smiled again, "Yeah but we have to…"

Ty shook his head and his shaggy brown hair flopped around his face. "After lunch than. Keep the keys till then if you don't believe," Ty added when he caught sight of Amy's skeptical expression. "It's not like I can go anywhere without the keys."

Ty started walking back to the dinning area and gestured for Mick to follow him. Amy walked slightly behind the two boys but was close enough that she could hear their conversation.

"We're on for tonight," Ty said to Mick.

Mick grinned. "Great, when and where?"

"Dead Mans Curve at 7:30," Ty responded.

Mick whistled, "Dead Mans Curve?" Ty nodded his head grimly. "That's steep man."

"Wasn't my choice," Ty said. "The stakes are upped though."

"How so?" Mick asked.

"Tony's got a Lamb," was all Ty needed to say for Mick to catch on.

"Wicked," Mick exclaimed. "So winner takes all?" Ty nodded his head again. Mick rubbed his hands together gleefully, "Well he's no match for my baby, she's ready to be popped out of the garage."

"Your Z06." Mick nodded his head in response to Ty's statement. "That's a sweet ride man," Ty said appreciatively.

"It sure is," Mick agreed wholeheartedly. "0-62 mph in 3.7 seconds flat," Ty whooped excitedly. "Up to 318 mph," Mick added and Ty applauded lightly. "500 horsepower," Ty whistled appreciatively. Mick stopped his gloating and asked Ty, "Ferrari Enzo?"

"Don't you know it," Ty said. "0-62 mph in 3.65. 362." Mick laughed gleefully.

"Damn that's a nice car man. Don't want to bang that baby up."

"Not a chance, not a chance," Ty drawled out the words.

By now they were back in the dinning area. Mick and Ty headed to their table while Amy moved to the table directly next to theirs.

"Caught them trying to sneak off," Mick said. Amy grinned and sat down in her seat. She played with the keys to Ty's Ferrari in her hands.

"You'll never guess Gorgeous," Mick said to Missy. "Never ever in a million years will you guess what Ty was going to do." Mick laugh lightly to himself and shook his head at the absurdity of it all.

"What Hot Stuff?" Missy said looking intrigued.

"He was going to let Amy drive his Ferrari!" Mick exclaimed.

Missy eyes widened in surprise and her mouth dropped open. "Seriously?" Mick nodded furiously. Missy smacked Ty's arm. "You don't let anyone drive that thing!" she exclaimed.

"First off," Ty began pointedly. "She is not a 'thing' and secondly…"

"My point exactly," Missy laughed. "You're so protective of that car Hot Stuff." She eyed Ty suspiciously before turning to face Mick again. "Are you sure?"

"Deadly," Mick responded. He turned to face Amy's table and gestured to her. "Show her the keys."

Amy grinned and held up the keys.

Missy's mouth fell open even farther, "You gave her the keys?" she said incredulously.

Ty shrugged and took a drink from his wine glass. "I said I'd let her drive," he said with a shrug.

Missy sighed. "You won't even let me drive it though!"

Ty laughed like that was the funniest thing he had ever heard. "With the way you drive? I don't think so!"

"I'll have you know that I'm a very good driver," Missy pointed out to Ty.

"Not good enough to drive my baby you aren't," Ty smirked.

"That sounded really wrong Hot Stuff," Missy laughed. "But seriously, you've never even seen her drive and you'll just hand over the keys to the Ferrari? You'd never do that unless…" Missy trailed off. A huge grin broke over her face as she looked at Ty. Ty looked away uncomfortably, he knew what was coming. "You like her don't you?" she said coyly.

"No," Ty said stubbornly. "I just…" he trailed off.

"My little Hot Stuff's in love!" Missy squealed. She put her arm around Mick's shoulders and turned back to Ty. Uncharacteristically, Ty was blushing ever so slightly. "Our little boy's in love," Missy said to Mick.

"Never thought I'd see the day," Mick said mimicking Missy's sentimental voice.

"I'm not in love with her," Ty said but his voice lacked any real conviction.

"Ty you opened the door for her, I've never seen you open the door for anyone," Mick said.

"Mick?" Ty said in a sweet voice.

"Yes honey?" Mick responded.

Keeping his voice sickly sweet Ty smiled and said, "Shut up."

**The Peak**

Both tables finished eating at the almost the same time. Ty, Mick and Missy headed outside into the bright sunshine. Ty perched on the door of his black Ferrari as Mick settled into the driver's seat of his Corvette. Missy stood by the hood of Ty's Ferrari and traced a hand enviously over its gleaming black paintjob.

"I wish you'd let me drive it," Missy whined and gave Ty her best puppy-dog eyes and pouty mouth.

"Not today Gorgeous," Ty said with a grin. "Maybe later."

"Well at least that's progress," Missy said excitedly. "You wouldn't even consider it before." Missy walked to the car parked on Ty's other side, a black 2006 Mercury Milan. "Time to give my car a little attention," she said. She perched on the hood and crossed her long, tan, muscled legs. Her skirt fell down her thighs a bit and she caught the glance that two guys that were just walking into the Four Seasons sent her. Missy eyed them up and down and turned her nose up at them. They were tourists. Missy hated tourists, unless they were her clients or future clients of course, and didn't bother to give them the time of day.

"Harsh Gorgeous," Ty laughed as the two men walked into the building dejectedly.

"What?" Missy asked, faining shock. "They just screamed, 'I'm a tourist! Where's the bathroom?'"

Ty laughed but straightened up when he saw Amy emerge from the Four Seasons a second later followed by her party.

"Have fun lover boy!" Missy called to Ty as she jumped into the Mercury Milan and sped away from the others.

"Hurry!" Ty called to Amy and waved her over. Amy caught sight of him and waved off her family as she hurried over to Ty.

Ty reached inside the door, the top was still down of course, and unlocked the door. He opened it for Amy and she smiled gratefully at him before she slid into the plush, white tan leather seating. Ty jogged around to the other side and jumped into the passenger side. "Ready?" he said as he faced Amy.

"Definitely," Amy said with a grin.

**a/n: **horrible ending but I have to get this up for JustAGirlWithADream! No time for editing! Review!


	9. Just like old times

**Authors Note**

Okay, so about the whole Dead Mans Curve thing… I (as far as I know) just made up. I know that near my house in AZ there is a Bloody Barons something ;) And thanks to all who guessed what was going on! A few people did and got it right but I'm not going to say what it is. You'll just have to find out. Oh and PitBullLover asked a very good question or made a good point or whatever. Ty's 17 and yet he was drinking in public and the waiter didn't do anything… okay so, just assume that Ty and Mick's families are both known in that place and they are basically allowed to do what the want. I don't know, I thought about that while I was typing but chose to ignore it. But do what you will, doesn't matter much. Hope you like this chapter, I know I had the best time writing it, it's one that I've had all planned out in my head for awhile. Review! –Steph

**Disclaimer: **Anything recognizable was created and is owned by Lauren Brooke.

**Chapter 9**

"Let's go than," Ty said. Amy held up the keys and inserted the one she presumed was the right one into the ignition. She twisted it and sure enough the lights on the dashboard lit up. Then, she pulled the gear shifter back to the 'R' for reverse.

Before she backed up Amy hesitated and turned to Ty. "Are you sure you want me to drive?"

"If I wasn't sure you wouldn't be sitting where you are right now," Ty responded, looking over his door to Mick's Corvette where Mick was talking on his cell phone. Mick snapped it closed and turned to Ty,

"That was Tony," Mick called over to Ty. "I don't know why he called me since he just talked to you, but anyway, he just wanted to make sure I was coming and asked about what car I have." Ty raised his eyebrows questioningly. "I just said the Vet and that you have the Ferrari, didn't specify what model."

"Good," Ty said with a nod. "You know what we should do? Go to the Curve and check it out."

"But you can't have cars on it in the day," Mick said.

"We walk," Ty said with a non committed shrug.

"What about…" Mick gestured next to Ty to Amy.

"Oh, right," Ty said. "She can come to. If she wants to." Before Mick could object Ty turned to Amy, "Hey, do you mind going somewhere with us? Just for a little while," Ty asked her.

"Uh sure," Amy said. "I'm not doing anything else important today."

"Great," Ty said with a grin. He turned back to Mick, "Actually," Ty began, "Maybe we shouldn't. You know why," Mick nodded in understanding. "Let's go have some fun instead."

Mick grinned excitedly. "Let's," he agreed eagerly.

"Do you want to drive?" Amy asked Ty suddenly. Ty looked at her questioningly. "I really don't want to mess up this car," Amy confessed.

"Sure," Ty readily agreed. He never gave up a chance to drive, unless of course it was driving a mini van or another car that didn't quite fit his standards. "When we get to where we're going I'll help you," he offered.

"Great," Amy said and opened the drivers' door and got out. Ty did the same and they passed in front of the Ferrari. Amy slipped into the passenger seat and shut the door. Ty settled himself into the drivers' seat looking quite pleased with the turn of events.

He pulled out of the parking spot with ease and accelerated to the exit and stopped at the oncoming traffic. Mick pulled up behind him. "Ty!" he yelled out suddenly. Ty turned around in his seat questioningly. "Take the good way!" he called out. Ty grinned insanely but just nodded his head in affirmation.

"Where are we going?" Amy asked Ty questioningly as he looked to the left and upon seeing cars coming he leant back and drummed his fingers along the leather bound steering wheel in frustration. Ty didn't like to wait, especially not when there was 114 horse power under him.

"You'll just have to wait and see," Ty responded cryptically as he stared at the passing cars.

Amy was set to argue and insist that he tell her where they were going but something made her keep her mouth shut. She figured it was just the fact that she was with Ty and he wasn't ready to kill, that was enough. She never thought that after two long years of thinking he was gone forever that she would be sitting in a hot sports car, a Ferrari no less, that had to count for something, with him. She decided to let go of everything and was determined to have a good time. After all, who knew what would happen when she went back to Virginia?

When a brake in the traffic finally came Ty swung out onto the main road and accelerated forwards, 'perhaps' going a bit faster than the speed limit. Mick pulled up besides Ty in his hunter green Corvette he blasted his horn and gave a quick wave before he pulled in front of Ty. Ty was having none of it, however, and stepped on the gas, pulling up alongside Mick again. He grinned wolfishly at Mick's momentarily turned head. Ty turned back to the main road and slowed down a bit when he saw the distinctive red, white, and blue cop cars in front of him. Noticing this to, Mick slowed down and pulled behind Ty.

The wind was rushing by them in the exposed interior of the car and Amy was glad she had pulled her long hair into a ponytail. She looked at Ty and felt her heart flutter in her chest at the sight of him. His wavy, brown hair was flying around his face but he could have seemed to care less and his navy and red school tie was just barely in front of him and looked on the verge of flying over his shoulder. He was sitting calm and relaxed in his seat and had one hand loosely on the steering wheel, the other, Amy noticed, was punching a number into his cell phone.

Ty pressed the send button and held it to his ear. "Hey," Ty said. "Let's go home first," Ty began. Amy looked over her shoulder and saw that Mick was on his cell phone. "Got to change out of this uniform," Ty said. Amy saw Mick nod firmly. Ty flipped his phone closed and dropped it into a cup holder carelessly. Ty twisted the steering wheel and pulled over into the far left lane. He eased the Ferrari to a stop and when the oncoming traffic on the other side of the road thinned out and he had space he swung the Ferrari across the road and down a road on the left side. He sped past grand, multimillion dollar properties; Amy immediately recognized it from the last, and first, time that she'd been to Ty's house.

Ty slowed down and pulled into the circular driveway of a sprawling, two-story light pinkish beige house. Ty pulled around the large saguaro cactus that dominated almost half of the center island and parked in front of the large door. Ty quickly exited the Ferrari and gestured to Amy to follow him. Amy quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and followed Ty up the stone pathway that led to the front door. Ty pulled a key out of his pocket and unlocked the door. He opened it and walked through; Amy followed him after a moment.

The inside was every bit as elegant as the outside. The floor was made of stone tiles and there was a rectangle outlined in different, multi colored slabs of stone and the walls were light beige or golden in color. Magnificent paintings and photographs adjourned the walls generously along withy several colorful, woven blankets. On one side of the door there was a glass table with wrought iron legs and an identical mirror hung above it. The table held a gorgeous, almost metallic in color, pot that the sun glistened off of. Across from the door there was an island in the center of the hall, the top was covered it a darker stone than that of the floor. There were more pots and bowls displayed there.

"Come on," Ty suddenly said as he started walking down the hall. Amy was yanked from her closer inspection of Ty's house and quickly followed him; she wasn't too keen on getting lost. That would be so embarrassing. Ty stopped by the carpeted staircase and turned to face Amy. "I'm going to get changed," he announced. "You can go where ever you want," he gestured around him, indicating the whole house. "The kitchen is over there," he pointed through a doorway where Amy could see a bit of the kitchen. "Help yourself to anything you want," he offered graciously. "Mick will be over soon, he'll just let himself in." Ty turned around and jumped up a few stairs before he stopped and turned back to Amy. When he spoke he answered the question that was on Amy's mind. "Don't worry," he started. "No one else is here. Dad's at the office and mom's…" he paused before grinning and saying, "Somewhere, probably buying stuff. But yeah, they're not here," he assured her before he bounded up the rest of the stairs and disappeared around the corner, out of sight.

Amy stayed where she was for a moment wondering what she should do. She decided that she didn't need anything to drink, she'd just had lunch after all, and eventually settled on walking down the hall.

Somehow Amy found herself in a room that resembled a living room. A colorful Indian rug covered most of the stone tiled floor and a big sectional, light tan leather couch curved around the center of the room. A large Plasma TV and DVD player was stationed in a huge, mahogany media cabinet, along the wall in front of the couch. Models of cars lined the shelves. In front of the couch there was a rectangular, dark wooden coffee table that had a stack of magazine left neatly in the corner. Along one of the walls was a large, various stone colored fireplace.

Upon seeing that the mantle was lined with photographs Amy subconsciously headed over in that direction, her curiosity of Ty's new life getting the best of her. Her eyes flickered past pictures of Brad and Jane with Isabella and Harold (the Laurence's), pictures of Lee with his friends or Alicia. Finally Amy found several pictures of Ty; there was one of Ty and Mick skateboarding down the street, completely oblivious to the camera. Another showed Ty with Phoenix, Ty with his family, Ty with his friends… Amy's eyes froze on one picture in particular; it was one of Ty sitting on a huge boulder flanked by his friends, obviously at The Peak. Ty's eyes were as bright as ever and dancing in the bright afternoon sunlight, as if at there own private joke. In the photo Ty looked about 15, it would have been soon after the accident, Amy realized and her heart thudded almost painfully against her chest. The next picture over showed Ty, looking hotter than should be legal, in a black suit and scowling in an annoyed manner. The next was one of Ty lounging on a raft in the middle of his pool, wearing only a pair of dark green board shorts. The rigid lines of his muscular chest were painfully obvious, even in the picture. His brown hair was wind swept and lying halfway across his eyes and one hand held up a glass filled with some beverage in a silent salute to whoever had taken the picture.

Amy heard the door bang shut in the distance and foot steps sounding down the hallway, coming closer to where she was. A second later Mick appeared in the doorway. "Ty ready yet?" he asked immediately as he saw her standing there.

"He's getting changed, I think," Amy said uncertainly. Mick had, obviously, already changed and was now clad in a pair of board shorts that were navy blue with white, yellow, and lighter blue hibiscus prints on them and a white t-shirt that said 'Remind Me Of Your Name Again In The Morning' in messy, red scrawl and a pair of light brown flip-flops that looked to be new but worn, destroyed.

Amy looked Mick up and down, taking in his choice of attire in slight confusion. "Where are we going?" she eventually asked.

Mick laughed lightly and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "You'll see," he responded cryptically and gave Amy an exaggerated wink.

"Woof!" the loud, excited bark came from the doorway. Amy turned around and saw that Ty's Beagle, Phoenix with standing in the middle of the doorframe. His tail was slicing threw the air in excitement and he was prancing around, his nails clicking on the stone tiled floor. He bounded over to Amy and jumped on her, his two front paws fixed themselves on her stomach. Phoenix's tongue was hanging out of the side of his mouth. Amy smiled brightly and scratched his head; Phoenix butted her hand with his wet nose.

"Sorry about him, he seems to like you," Ty's voice came from the doorway. Amy looked up and saw Ty leaning against the doorframe smirking lightly at the sight of them. Ty was dressed much the same as Mick in a pair of white Billabong bard shorts that were designed with red and black clubs, hearts, spades, and diamonds and a black shirt that had the Element logo displayed on the chest four time in white, blue, red, and brown representing wind, water, fire, and earth. He was also wearing a pair of dark brown leather flip-flops. His emerald eyes were glistening and dancing and his hair was wind swept from the drive in the Ferrari earlier. Plastered across his face was his trademark grin.

When Amy was finally able to tear her eyes away from Ty she grabbed Phoenix's flat studded collar and lightly pushed him off of her. "He's nice," she said lamely at a complete and total lose for words. "I like him too."

"Well Nix knows who he likes," Ty told her.

"Damn right," Mick cut in with a snort. "That dog is so _picky_ about who he likes, just like his owner," Mick joked.

"Unlike some," Ty retorted. Mick glared and a triumphant look overcame Ty's face, he knew he'd won.

"It's not like I'll just go with anyone though…" Mick helplessly tried to defend himself. Ty doubled over and clutched his sides from laughing so hard. Amy watched the two in slight amusement but was completely and utterly confused herself. "Wait," Mick said. "We must be talking about two different things, 'cuz as far as I'm aware you aren't the most…"

Ty stopped laughing and faced Mick again. "Neither are you my brotha, neither are you," Ty drawled out the last three words.

"Let's go," Mick said with a shake of his head that only succeeded in having more of his wavy blonde hair fall in front of his eyes. He was so used to it, however, that he didn't even bother to push it out of the way.

"Yes," Ty agreed, "Let's." he turned to walk out of the room, Mick close behind.

"Wait," Amy called from her spot in by the fireplace where Phoenix was still standing loyally by her side. Ty and Mick turned to face her again. "Where are we going?"

"First we're going back to your hotel," Ty informed her. He laughed at Amy's confused look and continued, "You're going to change into a bathing suit."

"Okay but why?" Amy pressed.

"You'll just have to wait and find out now, won't you?" Ty raised an eyebrow at her and cocked his head to the side, a gesture for her to follow him.

Amy followed Ty and Mick out of the room and down the hall. She didn't notice that Phoenix was still following her until they were outside the house and Phoenix bounded ahead of the others and, with a mighty push from his hindquarters, flew into the backseat of the Ferrari. He turned around on the soft leather seat a few times before stopping. He placed his paws on the door and peered over the black side and emitted a bark, as if to say 'hurry up already would you!'

"Is he coming?" Amy asked dumbly.

"Yup," Ty responded simply and casually. Ty wasn't one to spew out words, the less he had to say the better, unless of course it was he who chose to talk in the first place. But when answering questions he found that little was better.

"Okay," Amy said dubiously. She risked glanced out of the corner of her eye at Ty and saw that his jaw was firmly set and he was staring straight ahead. He looked lost in thought, about what? Amy had no idea. "So are you going to tell me where we're going?" she tried again and Ty started the engine and pulled out of his driveway, driving back the way they'd come. She glanced behind her and, sure enough, saw Mick's Corvette following close behind, she hadn't even noticed he'd left them.

Ty looked away from the road and grinned at Amy. "You'll see," he said again. He raised his eyebrows and said, "It's a surprise," and laughed slightly at some private joke.

"Okay," Amy groaned in defeat, knowing that no matter how much she argued or pestered Ty, he was not going to tell her where they were going. No matter how much Ty had changed since she'd last seen him two years ago she knew one thing for certain: he was stubborn and once he said something he rarely went back on his word. Arguing with Ty was like talking to a brick wall, nothing came from it.

"Princess?" Ty said suddenly, yanking Amy from her thoughts, thoughts that just so happened to be filled with Ty… big shocker.

"W-what?" Amy stuttered, thinking, for one bizarre second, that Ty had been calling _her_ 'Princess'.

Ty laughed again and looked at her again. "You're at the Scottsdale Princess, right?" he repeated, just in more words, for her benefit.

"Oh yeah… right," Amy said quickly, her thoughts were jumbled and turning fast in her head. _Where had _that_ come from_? She wondered silently in her head, internally berating herself for even thinking that Ty had been calling her 'Princess'.

About five minutes later Ty swung the Ferrari into a parking spot in front of the hotel, The Scottsdale Princess. Mick eased his Corvette to a stop in the empty space next to Ty.

"Stay," Ty said firmly and pointed a finger at Phoenix who was looking hopefully at the others. Phoenix gave a doggy sigh and almost seemed to roll his chocolate brown eyes before he plopped his put down on the seat.

Once they were inside the hotel lobby Ty turned to Amy and addressed her. "Just put on a bathing suit and something the can wet," he told her. "We'll wait for you here."

"Alright, give me five minutes."

**The Peak**

Once inside the safe confinements of the elevator Amy practically started dancing in happiness. She was with Ty again and he liked, or seemed to at the least, like her! She was going somewhere with him! Granted, she had no idea where said place was but was excited none the less.

She jabbed the number floor ten button and it lit up and the elevator moved beneath her feet. Amy managed to refrain from her dancing when she saw a young couple in the elevator already but she couldn't stop the wide smile that spread across her face.

She impatiently bounced on the balls of her feet as she watched the numbers tick by above the door.

2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-

The door dinged when it reached floor number ten and the doors slid open. Amy bounded out of the doors; the couple in the elevator exchanged a knowing look and shook their head lightly.

Amy pulled her door key out of the back pocket of her jeans when she reached the door to the room she was sharing with Joni and Soroya. She unlocked the door and quickly stepped inside. The door, unintentionally, banged shut behind her. Amy walked towards her dresser but stopped when she was met with the expectant and slightly concerned faces of not only Joni and Soroya but Matt and Tom too. They were lounging on the couches by the sliding glass door that led out to the patio, the TV was on.

"Oh hey guys," Amy said lightly as she continued on her way to her dresser.

Matt clicked off the TV. "What are you doing?" he asked questioningly as Amy dug threw the drawers of her dresser.

"Uh," Amy said and paused as she extracted a bathing suit from the top drawer in satisfaction.

"Where are you going?" Soroya asked when Amy failed to answer Matt's question.

"What?" Amy said absentmindedly. "Oh right," she said after a moment had passed. "I'm going somewhere with Ty and Mick," she informed them giddily. Matt, Joni, Tom and Soroya were left sitting on the couches as Amy walked into the bathroom without another word. Two minutes later she emerged wearing a brown, triangle bikini, the sides were embroidered with metallic gold threading. The ties on the bottom, and the top, sported small gold beads hanging at the ends. The brown colored material accented the natural tan Amy had acquired from days spent outside in the hot, Arizona sunshine.

Amy walked to her unmade bed and tossed her pile of clothes down onto it before opening another drawer on her dresser and pulling out a pair of white board shorts covered in brown flower prints. She pulled them on and attached the Velcro in the front and tied the thick, white laces.

"Where are you going?" Joni tried this time in an attempt to get Amy to answer.

"No idea," Amy said with a shrug as she pulled a white t-shirt with a small pocket on the left side of her chest over her head.

"What do you mean?" Matt asked.

"I mean," Amy said as she ran her brush through her long, light brown hair, "That I don't know where we're going. Ty just told me to put on something that could get wet so, I assume we're going somewhere that has something to do with water."

"I don't think you should go," Matt said quietly.

Amy whipped around to face Matt and looked at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

"I just…" Matt trailed off and looked at the ceiling uncomfortably before continuing. "I don't think you should go," he repeated, this time a little more firmly.

"Yeah I got that the first time," Amy responded. "Why though?"

"Well you don't know him…"

Amy held up a hand to stop Matt mid sentence. "This is Ty we're talking about here, of course I…

"Amy, Matt's right," Tom spoke next. "Ty's different than he was two years ago…"

"Yeah Amy," Soroya said next. "He's not the same. You don't really know him anymore."

Amy frowned. "Thanks guys, that's real supportive," she said sarcastically.

"I'm serious, Amy," Matt said. "Ty's different, _very_ different. You shouldn't be going somewhere with him, especially not when you don't even know where 'somewhere' is!"

"I'll be fine," Amy said as she pulled her hair into a loose ponytail. "What's with you guys? Ty's real nice," she told them. She frowned again at their skeptical looks. "I'm serious," she told them firmly. "When it's just me and him he's a different person."

Matt snorted. "I wonder why," he muttered sarcastically.

"What was that?" Amy asked as she turned towards Matt.

"Amy, Ty's not interested in being your _friend_," Matt told her.

"Excuse me?"

"Guys like him don't want someone like you as a _friend_," Joni said.

"Exactly," Matt affirmed. "He's interested in one thing and once he gets what he wants than he'll drop you and we'll go back home and you'll never see him again and that you'll be hurt again."

"Sorry," Amy said, "I don't think that's going to happen," she said firmly, trying to convince her friends and herself that it wasn't true. "Ty's not like that all," she said with more conviction this time.

"Yeah he's an angel dropped down from Heaven," Soroya said with a giggle.

Amy's eyebrows knitted together in frustration and anger. "I know you guys don't like him but…"

"It's mutual," Matt interrupted Amy with a laugh. "We hate him and he hates us." Matt paused as a thought struck him. He swung his legs off of the couch and set them firmly on the ground. He leaned in Amy's direction. "And just last night the guy hated you too."

"That's not true," Amy mumbled.

"So that wasn't you that he was yelling at, you who it looked like he was going to hit?" Matt stood up and approached Amy slowly. "Amy, the guys an ass, a bastard, whatever you want to call him. He made you _cry_," Matt stressed the three letter word. "He might have the same name or look like the Ty you remember but he's not! He's changed, Amy, and not for the better!"

"Today when we were talking at lunch he wasn't like that! He was nice and fun and funny. He was like the old Ty, the one that I remember," Amy told them stubbornly.

"But he's not the same Ty!" Matt exploded. "He's different!"

"You're right," Amy admitted, "He is different, around me. However you see him in your eyes is not how he is to me. He's a different person when it's just me and him."

"You talked to him for half an hour!" Matt said. "Last night you hated him!"

"You guys are wrong, all wrong," Amy said furiously. "Can't you just be happy for me? I'm finally getting what I've dreamed of for the last two years!"

"He doesn't even remember you Amy!" Joni said sadly.

"You know what?" Amy asked them stonily. "I'm beginning to see why Ty said that of all of you," she gestured around to her four friends, "he liked me best," she concluded venomously. The four others were at a lose for words. "I thought you guys were my friends," Amy said sadly. "I guess I was wrong. Now if you'll excuse me," Amy said as she slipped on a pair of dark brown rubber flip flops. "I was supposed to meet Ty downstairs ten minutes ago." With that Amy turned on her heel and walked out of the room, the door banging shut behind her forcefully.

**The Peak**

"Are you going to tell me where we're going?" Amy asked again, hopeful that Ty would tell her but didn't care one way or the other.

Ty glanced towards her, away from the road that they were speeding down. Amy refused to let herself look at the speedometer, she didn't need the gauge to tell her they were going fast, way faster than the speed limit. Amy only had time to be thankful that the road was straight and, for the most part, flat and virtually empty, except for Mick's car that was following a little ways behind them, before she gave herself over to the exhilarating feel of going so fast.

"Not a chance," Ty answered in the same way he had been for the past half an hour.

"Well are we almost there than?" Amy settled on asking.

"Almost," Ty said with a grin and he looked back at the road.

"What are we going to _do_?" Amy tried this time.

Ty laughed loudly, his broad, muscular shoulder shook. "I believe that falls into the same category as asking where we're going."

"Can't you just tell me?" Amy whined playfully, it was too easy for her to just fall into the way she used to act around Ty. Apparently, it wasn't too difficult for Ty either since he was acting just as he used to. _They were wrong, _Amy thought to herself, _Ty's not like that._ She'd tried to convince herself to believe this little fact many times in her stay in Arizona but now was the first time she actually believed it.

"No," Ty said simply.

Amy sighed and leaned against the door, one arm propped against it and she angled her body to face him. "How do I know you're not kidnapping me? Or something?" She wasn't even marginally worried about that, she hadn't even thought of that before.

Ty laughed harder at her absurd accusation. "You'll find out soon, we're almost there."

Phoenix launched himself from the backseat into Amy's lap. His tail was waving hyperactively and was hitting the glove department behind him. His tongue was hanging out of his mouth and he let out a small bark as his large, chocolate brown eyes stared up at Amy. Amy scratched his head. Phoenix seemed to like this seeing as he squirmed around on Amy's lap.

"Sorry about him," Ty said with a quick glance over to them. "You can just push him away if you don't want him," he told her.

"No it's okay," Amy assured him. She rubbed Phoenix's black, brown and white chest. "I like him, he's cool. For a dog I mean," Amy added quickly with a laugh.

"He's really picky about who he likes," Ty told her.

Amy waited for Ty to continue but he didn't. "Well than, I feel special," she said lightly.

"We're here," Ty announced suddenly.

Amy looked around expectantly, not sure what she was going to find there. Ty turned down a wide driveway and Amy saw a big sign that read:

Welcome

To Lake Pleasant

"A lake?" Amy asked in fascinated confusion. "Why are we here?"

"You'll see," Ty said with a laugh. He shook his head lightly and glanced momentarily across to Amy. "You're not very patient are you?"

"Not overly," Amy said with a grin.

"Me neither," Ty said.

"I know," Amy said without thinking. She immediately clamped her mouth shut; she'd been thinking about old times, times when Ty worked at Heartland and remembered her. She didn't want to make him uncomfortable.

"I guess I can see why you'd say that," Ty said thoughtfully. Amy realized, with relief, that Ty must be thinking about how he'd acted around her before. They were silent as Ty found a parking spot. "Okay let's go," Ty said as soon as the car had stopped and he got out of the Ferrari. Amy followed suit and Phoenix jumped onto the pavement after her.

"Can you tell me now?" Amy asked again hopefully.

"You'll see," Ty returned, mimicking Amy's playful voice.

Amy pouted and it made Ty laugh, which made Amy's heart soar.

"You two are sick," Mick said in disgust as he walked over to them.

Ty ignored Mick and started to walk away, in the direction of the lake, Amy could just see the glistening water. Amy quickly followed after Ty and Phoenix scampered after her.

They walked down a short pathway that soon came to an end, revealing a secret world. There were shops and restaurants, all in old styled buildings. Buildings that looked like they had been restored but still had that old town kind of air around them. Down past the 'town' a little ways there was a small beach, dotted with cactuses, and along the sides there were various size and modeled boats moored, some were tour boats and there were signs announcing boat rentals too. The lake itself was huge and the water was invitingly blue green and glistening in the bright sun, way off in the distance, mountains incased the lake. It was gorgeous.

"So what are we doing here?" Amy tried again.

"We're going to…"

"Hey, Ty! Mick! Over here!" a distinctly feminine voice called over to them. Amy tensed involuntarily as she turned around.

Coming towards them was an impossibly gorgeous girl, woman, as the case may be. She was tall, model tall and slender, her body was off luscious curves and her perfectly bronzed legs seemed to go on and on, never end. She wasn't muscular but her stomach was stretched taught, not an ounce of extra fat on her. Her long, sun bleached, blonde hair fell in straight, shimmering sheets down her back. Her tiny bikini matched her turquoise eyes. Her chest... you didn't get a chest like that without some help.

"Hey Jenna," Mick called out as she approached them.

"Hey Jenna," Ty echoed but he didn't seem as pleased to see her as Mick did.

Jenna didn't even glance in Amy's direction as she sauntered over to Ty and Mick, her hips sashaying back and forth. "I didn't know you guys were coming," she cooed. She didn't wait for an answer as she continued, "But since you're here, come and join me and friends at the bar," she offered them. She let her turquoise eyes roam over Ty's body. "I've got a friend who'd you'd like Ty," she told him.

"Uh no thanks," Ty declined her offer. "I already have plans," he told her. "Amy, Jenna – Jenna, Amy," he flicked his hand between Amy and Jenna as he introduced them, already bored of the conversation.

"Oh," Jenna said in surprise as she ran her eyes appraisingly over Amy, painstakingly slow, and made no motion to hide the fact that she wasn't impressed with what she saw. Ty's eyebrows furrowed in frustration. "New girlfriend?" Jenna asked Ty lightly.

"They're friends," Mick cut in graciously.

"Seriously?" Jenna raised a perfectly arched eyebrow.

"The sad part is," Mick continued, "That I'm completely serious."

"Interesting," Jenna said like she had just gotten the inside scoop on some utterly juicy gossip. "What about you Mick? No friend who just happens to be a girl for you?"

"Nah," Mick said with a shrug. "But," he ran his eyes over her exposed body, "Maybe that's not such a bad thing."

"No it's not," Jenna said as she sauntered over to Mick and slipped an arm around his shoulders. Mick looked like he was in Heaven as he snaked an arm around her slim waist. "But," Jenna said and held up a perfect finger warningly. Mick looked at her questioningly. Jenna pointed at his shirt. "You better remember me in the morning," she said seductively.

"Trust me babe, I won't forget you," Mick assured her.

The two walked away, back towards the bar where Jenna's group of skimpily dressed friends was waiting for her, without another word or so much as a glance at Amy and Ty.

"Ready?" Ty asked suddenly.

"Uh yeah," Amy answered in confusion, still trying to wrap her head around what had just happened. "Where are we going?" she asked again without thinking.

"You'll see," Ty answered with a laugh. He grabbed Amy's upper arm and pulled her along behind him and he went in the opposite way Mick and Jenna had just gone.

They weaved their way through groups of tourists. Finally Ty stopped at the entrance to a small marina.

"Erm," Amy said as she took in the sight of all the sport jets bobbing on top of the water. "Are we going on a boat?"

Ty just laughed again and pushed open the gate. He led Amy down the main boardwalk and than down a smaller one. He stopped at the boat moored at the end of the row. It was long and sleek. The body was black with streaks of dark blue, dark green and gray along the sides. The front met in a point. A little more than halfway back was the steering wheel and controls with a leather seat placed behind it. Tan leather seating wound around the cut out area before the black paint job slopped down into the water.

"Your boat?" Amy asked Ty.

A dark object launched through the air past Amy and landed on the front of the boat. When it stopped Amy noticed that it was Phoenix. Phoenix carefully crept his way along the sleek front of the boat and finally jumped onto the leather couch. He turned towards Amy and Ty and barked.

"Yes, this is my boat," Ty answered. "Do you still need me to tell you what we're doing?" Ty joked. "Or can you figure it out by yourself?"

**The Peak**

An hour later Ty was piloting the jet around the lake. After how he drove a regular car Amy wasn't surprised that he went just as fast, if not faster, on the water.

Amy sat on corner of one of the couches, one leg tucked underneath her, and petting Phoenix who seemed to love being on the boat. Ty and Amy didn't talk much, but Amy was perfectly content, just watching the water lap against the side of the boat, the mountains in the distance, and, of course, more often than not, Ty.

Eventually Ty had flipped on the radio. Now the song, 'Build God, Than We'll Talk' by Panic! At The Disco was blasting from the speakers. Ty bobbed his head along with the music and began slowing the boat down. Finally when the engine was almost killed Ty began dancing around in the limited space in front of steering wheel and belted out the lyrics to a part of the song.

_And not to mention, the constable  
And his proposition, for that "virgin"  
Yes, the one the lawyer met with on "strictly business"  
As he said to the Mrs.  
Well, only hours before, after he had left  
She was fixing her face in a compact  
There was a terrible crash  
Between her and the badge  
She spilled her purse and her bag  
And held a "purse" of a different kind  
Along with the people inside_

Ty stopped singing but the song played on in the background. Amy laughed at the looks they got from a passing double Decker vessel, undoubtedly a tour boat filled with tourists, if the voice talking about the mountains and lake was any indication. Ty flashed his trademark smile and to teenage girls standing by the side of the huge boat giggled and leaned against each other. Ty grinned cockily at Amy when he noticed that and Amy laughed more. Phoenix, never one to sit out of the fun, starting barking too.

"Sorry," Ty said as he plopped down next to Amy on the couch. Amy unconsciously scooted over a little bit to give him more room. "It's so easy to be someone I'm not around you…" Amy frowned at his words. Ty noticed and his words registered. "No! That's not what I meant, I meant when I'm around you… just you, I… I don't know," Ty eventually said. "Forget I said anything."

"No I get it," Amy said with a laugh. She was surprised that she actually did know what Ty had been trying to say. She started laughing harder as she realized that it was just like old time. Ty looked at her questioningly. Finally Amy managed to say, "Sorry! Sorry," he gasped, out of breath from laughing so hard. "It's just like…"

"Just like old times, right?" Ty filled in for her when she had trailed off.

Amy looked at Ty, surprised, and Ty's eyes widened as he realized what he has just said. "I thought you didn't rememb…"

"I don't," Ty cut her off firmly. "I just…" Ty shook his head firmly, as if trying to rid himself of something. "I don't know. I don't know where that came from," he finally concluded.

Amy smiled at him. "That's alright," she told him, and she was surprised to find that it was true, she didn't care that he didn't remember her or Heartland or anything. All that mattered was that she as with him.

Ty watched her as she looked off into the mountains, caught up in her own thoughts. When she turned back to face Ty a small smile graced her lips. Ty found himself caught up in Amy's enchanting gray eyes. Amy gasped lightly at the exquisiteness of the twin emeralds shinning only a couple feet before her. Ty leaned forwards slightly and Amy did the same.

His emerald pools were only several inches from her smokey orbs.

A blasting horn broke them a part before anything more could happen.

Amy jumped backwards and Ty jumped to his feet. A small covered boat zipped past them with a bunch of kids jumping and shouting aboard. "Spring break! WOOHOO!" one yelled as they passed. It was quiet again as the boat sped down the lake, off to terrorize someone else.

"So when did you get your boat?" Amy asked lamely in an attempt to break the awkward silence that had engulfed the boat.

Ty watched her face intently but didn't answer her question. Instead, when he spoke again it was completely unrelated to Amy's question. "You're not like most girls, you know," Ty said softly.

"Oh," Amy said uncomfortably and looked back out at the mountains. She couldn't decipher Ty's voice. Was that a compliment ? Or an insult maybe?

"I didn't mean it like that," Ty said quickly as he caught sight of Amy's expression. "I meant…" Ty trailed off again. He looked back up at Amy after a minute, his expression frustrate. "Wow I'm on a roll, aren't I?" he said bitterly. "I don't seem to know what I'm saying today."

"It's okay," Amy said to relieve him. "I get it… sort of," she said with a laugh.

Ty laughed to. "How about a change of topic?" he suggested.

"Okay," Amy said a bit eagerly, wishing that they could be comfortable around each other again. "What's going on at Dead Man's Curve tonight?"

Ty frowned. "Not that."

"But…"

"No," Ty said firmly. "We're not talking about that.

"Why not?" Amy asked suspiciously. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm not going to tell you," Ty said emotionlessly.

Amy sighed, he as turning again, back into someone she didn't know. "It can't be that bad," she tried to reason with him but when Ty was like this reasoning with him was like talking to a brick wall. The wall would probably win, however. "If you just tell me," she tried again, "I won't have to come to find out what you're doing," she said, attempting to be playfully.

Apparently, Ty did not see it like this. "Don't come," he said icily. "That would be bad."

"Fine, okay," she said defeated, knowing that Ty was not going to give. "I'll drop it okay?"

They were silent for ten minutes, the air crackled in the tension. Finally, Ty sighed and spoke up. "I'm sorry," he said.

"Me too," Amy seconded his apology. "I shouldn't have tried to make you talk about it. It's none of my business."

"You're right, it's not," Ty started and Amy looked at him, startled. "But," he said in a softer voice, "I shouldn't have acted like that."

"It's alright," Amy said again.

"No," Ty said firmly. "It's not alright. I've been horrible to you every time I've seen you. You don't deserve it," Amy was silent as Ty wrestled with his thoughts. "I don't know why," he finally began, "But there's just something about you that… different, from anyone else I've ever met," he confessed. "And, to me, it's weird. But," he said in a lighter voice. "I promise to be on my best behavior now."

Amy smiled again as she felt the tension lift and float away. "Alright."

They sat in silence, though this time it was comfortable, for five minutes.

Ty pulled his phone, reluctantly, out of his pocket and flipped it open. "Hey Mick, what's up?" he said into it. "You're right," Ty said with a glance at his watch. "Yeah we're on our way. Listen, meet me at 6:50 okay?" he paused as Mick spoke on the other line. "See ya," he said as a farewell and flipped the phone shut.

He looked back up at Amy and smiled loosely. "Want to drive back?"

**The Peak **

_6:00 p.m._

Ty sat at his large desk in his room. He flipped open his laptop and pressed the 'power' button in an attempt to occupy himself for the next 50 minutes. He picked up the remote for his sound system and flipped it on. 'I'm Not Okay (I Promise)' by My Chemical Romance came through the speakers and Ty dropped the remote back to his desk.

He turned back to the laptop, which had booted up and absentmindedly click on the Internet Explorer icon. He went to Google and without thinking typed in his search:

Heartland, Virginia

He clicked on the first sight that came up, it looked promising.

The page instantly popped up on his screen and the top read:

_Heartland_

_Heeling horses, heeling hearts…_

Ty starred at the words, feeling a connection of some kind to those four simple words. He glanced at the other pictures and skimmed the words in the middle of the page.

_Heartland is a horse farm nestled in the hills of Virginia,_

_But it's much more than that._

_Heartland is a place like no other—_

_It's a place where the scars of the past can be heeled,_

_A place where frightened and abused horses learn to trust again_

Ty clicked, involuntarily, on an icon that read '_Memorials'_.

A picture of Marion Fleming came up along with a brief summary of her life. Ty scrolled down the page, there was Pegasus and other horses that had passed away at Heartland. Ty came to the end of the page and froze. There was a picture of a gorgeous chestnut horse. He was tall and muscular and Ty found his eyes drawn to him.

Than he noticed the figure standing next to the animal.

It was him. A younger version, two years younger to be precise, but it was Ty none the less.

"Dylan," Ty whispered as he ran a finger over the horse's picture.

Suddenly the door to Ty's room swung open and his mother bustled through the door. "Ty we need to talk," she announced as she fixed a bracelet to her wrist.

Ty slammed his laptop shut and turned to his mother. "What?" he asked irritably.

"What was on your laptop?" she asked suspiciously.

"Nothing," Ty replied simply.

"Really?" Jane didn't believe him. "I could have sworn…" she shook her head elegantly. "Never mind. "Anyway," She began, "Your father and I are going out with Isabella and Harold tonight," she informed her eldest son. "We'll be back late. Are you going to be around tonight or do you have plans?"

"I have plans," Ty told her warily.

"I thought that much," Jane said and bobbed her head. "I suppose Mick is with you than?" Ty nodded stiffly. "Hmmm, well Alicia is coming over to hang out with Lee…" Ty raised his eyebrows questioningly at his mother before he laughed. Jane pointed a dainty finger in his direction. "Don't you say anything," she warned Ty. Ty immediately stopped laughing.

"Anything else?"

"Oh yes," Jane said. "Your father wants the keys to the Ferrari Enzo."

Ty's foot, that had been resting on the top of his desk slammed down onto the floor. "He _what_?"

**a/n: **well that's all for now! Hope you liked it. I'm off to watch The Little Vampire's! love that movie! Actually, I LVOE vampires they're hot. Speaking of which, everyone should read Twilight, best FUCKING book ever! JustAGirlWithADream, this chapter was for you (notice the longness ;) ) because you got me to read it! Everyone, review!


	10. Dead Mans Curve

**Authors Note**

I got my laptop back! All is good now and expect more frequent updates. Well I should keep working on something else but I have decided to take pity on the three people who I've sent a teaser for this chapter. By the way, if anyone wants teasers for upcoming chapters of TP or CIC give me your email address and I will send something to you. Most likely, it will just be a rough outline for a part that will be in the next chapter. If you're reading CIC, go and read Beau, for Short! It's only a two part story and who doesn't want to know more about Liz? Everyone is always saying (in reviews) that she's a bitch but how did she used to be? I'm a review Nazi so go and review! Enjoy the chapter; I've been waiting since I started this story to get to write this story! And if you don't know cars than just ignore the car ramblings that are bound to show up in this chapter but, if you are a car person, like I am, than I'm sure you will appreciate it and pardon anything that may be not quite right, I'm using the internet to insure that things are more accurate! Review! –Steph

**Disclaimer: **Based **_loosely_** off of the Heartland series created and owned by Lauren Brooke.

**The Peak**

**Chapter 10**

"Your father wants the keys to the Enzo," Jane repeated.

"Wha… why?" Ty stuttered.

"I'm assuming because he wants to drive it," Jane replied slowly, carefully watching her sons face for a hint of emotion.

"But… I was going to take the Enzo out tonight," Ty said. "I just got it for my birthday last month and haven't had the chance to take it out for a proper drive yet," he added quickly.

Jane starred at Ty in shock and displeasure. "Ty, no. You're not thinking about street racing are you?" she accused him.

Ty managed to keep his cool and composed composure. "No, mom, of course not. I was…"

"Ty, we talked about this!" Jane exclaimed. "I thought we had an understanding on this. Two years ago when you totaled your fathers Porsche Boxster you promised that you wouldn't get involved with those people again!" Jane was clearly upset.

Ty almost grinned at the memory but managed to refrain. Two years ago, when Ty had been fifteen, he'd met some people and had been convinced to take his fathers Porsche out one night and race them. Ty had been planning on going out and having some fun for a few hours and then returning the Boxster to the garage before dawn. No one would ever know that it had been missing. But, when things need to work out they never seem to do. The car had been totaled and somehow the police had been tipped off and caught them. Ty had had no choice but to call his parents. Fuming mad, his parents had picked their fifteen year old son up from the police station. The drive home had been consumed in a tense silence but once inside the safety of their own home Ty had received the yelling of his life. Not only had he destroyed a perfectly good and priceless vehicle and driven without a license but he had betrayed his parents trust. Ty had been grounded and had been forced to swear that he would never engage in street racing ever again.

"Calm down, mom! I wasn't going to do anything like that, I swear," Ty told her calmly.

"What's all the noise in here?" Brad asked as he walked into the room. He crossed the length of the room in his long stride and stood next to his wife.

"I was just…" Ty began.

"Ty's making a deal about us taking the Enzo and I'm try to figure out why," Jane cut in.

Brad's eyes narrowed as he drew the same conclusion as his wife had. "Alright," Brad began, "Who is it this time and how much is at stake?" Brad pulled his expensive leather wallet out of the back pocket of his neatly pressed suit pants and flipped it open. He withdrew several creaseless bills and sifted through them.

"Dad, really I'm not…"

"Ty, just tell me how much you need to get out of your race before I loose my temper," Brad warned. "Will 1000 dollars cover it?" he held ten hundreds out to Ty.

"I'm not street racing!" Ty burst out suddenly.

Brad withdrew his hand but didn't put the money away. He still wasn't sure if he believed Ty or not.

"I told you I wouldn't do it anymore, didn't I?" Ty said calmly.

"Then what's then deal here?" Brad asked as he put the money carefully back into is wallet and slipped the wallet into his back pocket.

"I was just going to take the Enzo out tonight," Ty told Brad easily.

"I would like to take the Enzo out to night if you don't mind," Brad countered.

"But it's _my_ car," Ty argued.

"Your mother and I have tickets to see Cirque Du Soleil with the Laurence's and then we are going to that new Italian restaurant. We would like to take the Enzo," Brad repeated.

"Can't you take your Vanquish?" Ty almost, _almost_, resorted to begging.

Brad shrugged. "I've driven the Vanquish around before. I'm in the mood for something new, something exotic. Something that most people wouldn't have," Brad said.

"Yeah, and you just see people driving around Aston Martin's everyday," Ty said sarcastically.

"Yes," Brad agreed. "But a Ferrari Enzo is much rarer. I haven't seen anyone driving an Enzo around here. I'd like to be the first." Brad was car obsessed. Many women put painstaking hours into figuring out what they were going to where when they went, God forbid someone have the same dress, shoes or handbag as them. Brad was that way with cars.

"What am I supposed to take then?" Ty asked.

Brad looked at him like he had lost his mind. "Well," he began. "You always have the Ferrari you drive everyday…"

"No," Ty said quickly. "That's not good enough," he muttered carefully under his breath. If his parents had heard that then…

"There's the Escalade," Brad continued.

Ty could see it in his head now. Tony would have to be rushed to the hospital with a burst lung if Ty showed up with an SUV.

Brad went on to list the other cars that were currently sitting in the Baldwin's large garage. With the look of distaste that lighted Ty's face with every car he named Brad finally gave up. "You can take the Vanquish," he finally said.

Ty sat up a little straighter. The Vanquish sure as hell wasn't his Enzo but it would have to work. "Fine," he agreed.

Brad pulled a glimmering key out of his pocket. He held it up in front of Ty and Ty reached for it. Before Ty could grasp the single key that was hanging off of the key ring, Brad pulled it back. "On one condition," Brad bargained. "I get it back in tact and running…"

"Deal," Ty quickly said.

"And…" Brad continued.

"I thought you said there was one condition," Ty said.

Brad glared at him and Ty shut up. "Second," Brad continued. "You swear to me right now that you're not doing any street racing," he said firmly.

The room was completely silent for a few seconds. "I swear," Ty stated.

Brad tossed the key to Ty and Ty caught it easily. Ty looked at the key reflecting the light and suddenly felt uneasy. He looked up and caught his parents still watching him closely. "What?"

"What are you doing tonight?" Jane asked eventually.

Ty shrugged noncommittally. "I was just going to hand out with Mick and some of the guys and maybe go to a party." Typical Ty answer.

"Fine," Brad said. "But if I hear one word that something other than partying was going on tonight you will have hell to pay for it, Ty," he warned Ty. "If it is street racing so help me I will…"

"That's enough, Brad," Jane quickly quieted her husband. "Ty," she began, "We're just concerned for your safety. Street racing is dangerous and after watching the news reports on the young kids who were killed doing just that at Dead Mans Curve a few months ago, I…" Jane trailed off in sadness. "I just don't want that to be you," she completed emotionally.

"I'm not doing anything like that, mom," Ty softly assured her. He wasn't able to meet his mother's eyes.

"Swear to it right now, Ty," Brad requested again. "Swear that you're not street racing."

"I swear I'm not street racing," Ty did what his father asked.

"I'll trust your word this time, Ty, and I'll hope that it's the truth," Brad said. "Don't ruin my faith in you a second time, Ty," Brad came close to pleading with his son.

"You can trust me, dad," Ty told his father.

"I really hope so, Ty," Brad said. Then he held out his hand. "Keys," he said simply.

Ty sighed in defeat and pulled the keys to his new Ferrari Enzo out of a drawer on his desk. He handed them to his father and his father accepted them gratefully.

Jane and Brad gave their farewells to Ty and headed over to the door. Jane headed off down the hallway back to her and Brad's room to finish getting ready. Brad lingered behind a moment. He turned back to Ty. "I know that there's a lot of pressure on you kids to do things these days," Brad began. "But I sincerely hope you, _my son_, are strong enough to go your own way, to not follow the crowd."

"I am, dad. I'm my own person and I know that _you_ know I don't let myself get bossed around," Ty said with a grin.

Brad laughed. "Yes, I do know that." Then the smile was gone and Brad's face was again serious. "Remember," Brad warned ominously. "You gave me your word, Ty."

Ty spun around lazily in his chair once his father was gone. After several rotations Ty planted his feet on the floor and stopped the chairs movement. He glanced down at the key that he still held in his hand. The Austin Martin key ring seemed to be laughing at him, taunting him. Ty quickly closed his fist around the key again. He pushed a hand through his hair. "Shit," he cursed under his breath.

**The Peak**

Amy was relieved that the computer room at The Scottsdale Princess was remarkably empty. Only a few of the black Dell computers were being used. There was one teenage girl who was busily IMing with friends, a young boy who was doing research for a school project and several others researching things to do in Arizona. One middle aged woman was printing boarding passes for her flight home the next day.

Amy walked through the quiet room that's only sound was the taping of fingers on the keyboard, the noise the printer made as it printed pages and the occasional sharp cackle from the IMing girl.

Amy selected a computer in the corners that had no one near her. She didn't know why she was so nervous.

Amy double clicked on the Internet Explorer icon and Google came up as the homepage. She quickly typed in her search and hit enter.

Dead Mans Curve, Arizona

Results **1-10** of about **150,000,000** for **Dead** **Mans** **Curve**, **Arizona**. (**0.17** seconds)

Amy looked at all of the entries that appeared before her. What _was_ she looking for? Was Dead Mans Curve? Or maybe a band she didn't know about? Considering Ty it could very well be a club. She finally settled on the first entry. First was always safe, sometimes.

www (dot) AZattractions (dot) com

Amy's finger hesitated above the link. Should she really be doing this? Yes, she finally concluded. She wasn't doing anything wrong. She had promised Ty that wouldn't _come_ to Dead Mans Curve that night but he never said anything about looking up what it was. Looking wouldn't hurt anything and besides, she was curious. Ty had made such a big deal about it and now she wanted to know what was really going on. Apparently, Amy had never heard the saying "Curiosity killed the cat."

The page opened quickly and Amy scanned it quickly, trying to figure out if it was viable. There were several photographs of mountains. _What's the big deal about mountains? _Amy wondered in confusion. There were some more pictures on the sight as well. These focused more on a road. There was an aerial shot that depicted a long, narrow, winding road. There was another that showed a shard turn in the road that was flanked by the biggest boulders Amy had ever seen on either side.

Another picture was just of a sign. It read:

Dead Mans Curve

No motorized vehicles permitted

Authorized tours/hikes ONLY

Violators will be fined $1000

Amy decided that she would just have to read the webpage to understand. _What could be so important about this place that you'd be fined $1000 for 'trespassing'? _

AZ Attractions: **Dead Mans Curve**

_Dean Mans Curve is a quarter mile of treacherous road. Due to a number of deaths in recent years, the State of Arizona passed a law in 2001 that limited the use of Dead Mans curve to guided hikes and tours. Motorized vehicles of any kind are no longer permitted on Dead Mans Curve. Dead Mans Curve is only accessible from 10 am–6 pm Monday–Saturday and from 1 pm–5 pm on Sunday's._

_Dead Mans Curve's first known usage was in the 1800's when the 2.57 mile long road was used as a trade route. The road leads to and through the Blue Horse Mountains. The road became popular due to its easy accessibility to popular trade markets on either side of the Blue Horse Mountains._

_Use of the popular trade route diminished greatly when many deaths and robberies were reported along the road. It is believed, that bandits and thieves would station themselves along the road and ambush unsuspecting travelers taking their goods and horses and then killing the tradesmen. The place where the most deaths were reported was at a curve that is approximately a quarter (.25) mile away from the pass in the Blue Horse Mountains. The curve is sharp and is bordered on either side by large boulders. The curve presented the unsuspecting tradesmen with a "blind spot" and they were unable to see what was waiting for them on the other side. On the rare occasion that a merchant made his way unscathed he would likely meet his fate in the pass._

_Thus, the road was then on called 'Dead Mans Curve' and the pass 'Dead Mans Pass'._

_In the 1900's when Dead Mans Curve was no longer needed as a trade route it became popular for other reasons. "Street racing." Ranging from the earliest days of horseracing, bicycling and the earliest automobiles. Dead Mans Curve maintained the meaning behind its name, though this time it was not bandits and thieves who did the trick._

_Dead Mans Curve varies throughout on its width. Some places are wide enough to fit ten cars and others only just barely wide enough to allow one car. The elevation is another element that is subject to sudden rise or decline. Areas of Dead Mans Curve are sometimes flooded or blown over with rocks and sand._

_Despite the law that prohibits motorized vehicles on Dead Mans Curve; Dead Mans Curve has continued to be a popular location for street races. The many deaths have only succeeded in "upping" the popularity and thrill. These days, Dead Mans Curve is known as a notorious location where the best of the street racers meet to see who the best is. Dead Mans Curve is also ridden by novices. _

_The State of Arizona does all in its power to prevent any motorized vehicles from entering. When the Curve is not open for hikes and guided tours the gates are locked shut. Video cameras monitor the road when it is closed to the public. _

"Amy?" a voice cut through Amy's concentration and focus.

Amy quickly looked up and saw Joni watching her. "Yeah?" Amy asked as she hurriedly exited off of the page she had been reading.

"We were about to go to dinner. Lou told me to come get you," Joni told her.

"Oh, right," Amy said instantly remembering that her sister had told her they had reservations at a new Italian restaurant nearby that was supposed to be very good, and expensive. Scott's parents, Meg and Greg, had insisted they treat everyone to the five star dinner as an early wedding gift to Scott and Lou.

After making sure that everything was turned off Amy stood up and followed Joni out to the elevator.

"So, what were you doing on the computer?" Joni asked once they were away from the eerie quiet of the computer room.

Amy thought for a moment. She wasn't sure if she should say. She trusted Joni but she also hadn't approved of her spending time with Ty earlier that day and wasn't sure if she would approve of it. And besides, Amy wasn't yet sure herself what Ty was doing at Dead Mans Curve later that night. He wasn't so stupid that he would engage in street racing, was he?

"Oh, you know," Amy responded breezily, "Just checking my email and everything."

**The Peak **

_7:20_

_Dead Mans Curve_

"Do you think he's coming?" Mick asked Ty.

"Yes," Ty responded stonily. "This is Tony we're talking about here, he wouldn't miss it."

"Yeah," Mick agreed. "I guess you're right." After a moment of silence Mick asked, "Are you nervous?"

"About the race? No," Ty said simply. "I'm more nervous about this car," Ty said and patted the silver hood of his fathers Aston Martin Vanquish. "My father will kill me if anything happens to it."

"Did they suspect?"

"Yes," Ty said threw gritted teeth. "What about your?"

"No," Mick said with a short laugh.

An engine sounded in the distance. The bright headlights swept over Ty and Mick. Ty pushed himself forwards so that he was no longer leaning against the hood of his car. Mick took a step forwards too, away from his Daytona Sunset Orange Corvette Z06.

The yellow Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster skidded to halt just several feet in front of Ty and Mick.

A gleaming yellow door swung open and a tall man who was probably in his early twenties stepped out. He was tall and lean, the ridges and contours of his muscular chest just slightly accentuated as the light, dry wind blew his thin black t-shirt against his chest. His dark jeans traveled down his long, steel legs until they met with his black shoes. The black leather jacket was left open, save for where it was buttoned together at the neck. His dark brown eyes blended in with the shadows of the night and his short, dark brown hair swept across his forehead giving him the look of an angel or perhaps he was closer to a demon. He took a step forwards with the lithe step of a seasoned dancer. This was Tony.

A second car pulled up, it was a dark blue Ford GT that had white racing stripes running over the hood, roof and the rear hatch and running horizontally along the sides. The man that stepped out of the Ford GT was remarkably less spectacular then Tony but he was beautiful in his own way, it was just diminished as he stood in Tony's shadows. He stood several inches shorter then Tony but he was just as well muscled. His hair was messily wavy and a brilliant copper color. Eyes the color of light caramel stared up from under the edges of the copper waves. He was dressed similarly to Tony, wearing a black polo, dark jeans and black leather jacket. When this man stepped forwards to stand just slightly behind Tony he didn't move with the same gracefully lithe movements that Tony had recently exhibited. His walk was more forceful and dominant. This was Brian, Tony's "second".

"So, you girls decided to join us, I see," Tony drawled out in his deep, strangely angelic voice as he rocked back on the heels of his designer shoes and slid his long, thin hands into his pockets.

"We've been waiting here for fifteen minutes, Tony," Ty responded in the same bored voice as he used with people that annoyed him immensely.

"Well than," Tony said, flashing one of his dazzling lopsided grins, his teeth shiny bright white in the headlights shinning brightly from the four sports cars. "Shall we get started? Unless of course," he began with a smirk, "You girls are too chicken..." he trailed off but the meaning was clear in his voice.

"I didn't come here to listen to you talk," Ty responded coolly.

Tony's grin somewhat faded away, he did NOT take fondly to insults that were directed at him, but there was still a faint trace of it as the corners of his mouth twitched upwards. "Well then, let's go." He turned around but only a moment later he stopped and turned half-way back around. He faced Ty and a smirk drew across his perfect features, as if he was laughing at some inside joke that only he knew. "You first, Baldwin."

Ty stood up straighter and stared at Tony and for an instant something flashed in Ty's eyes. He watched Tony suspiciously for a few seconds. Ty studied Tony's face as if he was trying to find something that wasn't there. Then, letting everything go, a smirk that was almost identical to Tony's drew across Ty's perfectly shadowed face. "You're on."

Tony stepped back over to his Lamborghini. But, before he got into the low seat he turned back to Ty who was just opening the Aston Martin's door.

"What happened to the Ferrari, Baldwin?" Tony called over.

"What?" Ty called back, grinning insanely. "You scared?"

"You wish," Tony answered menacingly. "Listen up; this is how we're going to do this. Baldwin, you and me are going first. Laurence and Adam will wait here. We take it once to the mountains and, assuming you make it that far, back to this spot. Winner takes all." With a smirk Tony added, "That Vanquish and Z06 will look nice in my garage, I've already cleared space for them."

"Well it's going to remain empty," Mick said calmly.

Tony glared at Mick and Mick glared back.

With another sickening grin, Tony stepped over to the drivers' door of his Lamborghini Murcielago Roaster and pulled the door open upwards. He slid stealthily into the low, leather seat. He reached up and pulled the door closed. Tony started up the Lamborghini and quickly spun it around so that he was facing the direction they were going.

Ty pulled his Aston Martin Vanquish up next to the Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster. Tony gunned his engine menacingly. Ty returned it so that the Vanquish's engine let up a loud rumble. Ty grinned at the power of the 520 horsepower he could feel rumbling beneath him. The engines itself was one of the finest engines in the world, enormously powerful, smooth and beautiful. 6.0 liter V12. At 7000 rpm its top speed was over 200 mph.

The Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster was in no way less exquisite then the Aston Martin Vanquish. With 580 horsepower and 7500 rpm it perhaps dominated the Vanquish by a very slim margin. Like the Vanquish, the Murcielago's top speed was over 200 mph and the V12 engine made the two vehicles fair. Neither had a huge advantage over the other.

Adam appeared between the two powerful sports cars and held up a 9mm shotgun. "Drivers set…" Ty pulled the gear shift back to 'D' for drive. "On your marks…" Adam yelled to be heard over the engines. "GO!" he finally said and a single gunshot ripped through the still night air.

Ty's whole body had been tensed, waiting for the signal, and as soon as he heard it his foot slammed on the gas. The Vanquish shot forwards, easily reaching 62 mph in just 4.8 seconds flat and 100 mph in 9.8 seconds.

The starting portion of Dead Mans Curve was wide and both cars were able to travel abreast. Ty hugged the inside of the road as they swept around the first turn. Tony went wide and the slight distance that was added to his turned let Ty take the lead, but only by a foot or two.

Ty let the Vanquish reach 135 mph on a straight portion of the road. When they came to another turn Ty eased on the break right before the sharp turn and stepped on the gas again midway through the turn. Ty easily soared through the turn.

Now, there were slight rises and declines in the elevation of the road. Ty hurtled over the bumps like an Olympic track star. At one point all four wheels of the cars became airborne.

Ty was forced to slow down as they came upon a particularly difficult portion. The road zigzagged back and forth and the elevation rapidly rose and decreased. Ty expertly maneuvered the Vanquish through the obstacle course and once they were on the straightaway he floored it and they picked up speed.

Ty risked a glance in the rearview mirror and was surprised to see Tony hanging back, slightly behind him. He didn't seem to be in a rush which struck Ty as odd. Tony wasn't driving with his usual dominant, in-your-face style.

"What the hell is he doing?" Ty mumbled as he looked back to the road.

Tony drew up besides Ty. Sensing the competition and thriving in it, Ty was tempted to pull ahead but the road was thinning in width and Tony was leading. Ty slowed a little and let Tony whip in front of him. Nothing annoyed Ty more than the yellow rear of the Lamborghini.

When the road widened back up Ty stepped on it and easily overtook Tony. He was leading again. He was home.

They were side by side again as they flew around the next turn.

Tony was being more aggressive now and seemed determined to match Ty's pace the entire time.

Shadows danced in the beams the headlights were admitting. The light was the only thing they had to see by in the pitch black night, the moon covered by clouds. But the bright beams were all Ty needed to know, they were approaching The Curve. The one that Dead Mans Curve was named for.

Tony was becoming more aggressive and was almost pressed up against Ty.

The boulders towered overhead ominously. The shadows cast an eerie look to the curve. The two cars sped into the curve, disrupting the previous tranquility of the desert night life.

"What the hell are you doing!" Ty yelled as loud as he could, even though he knew that there was no way Tony could hear him.

Tony was still right on Ty and was forcing Ty right up against the boulders. Ty could hear the chilling screech of stone on metal.

They were in the trickiest part of the turn when Tony drifted the outside a bit. Ty gratefully got a few feet in between him and the boulders before, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tony give his steering a sharp jerk.

**The Peak**

'Ding Dong'

The two officers stood side by side on the stoop of a house. The doorbell echoed through the inside of the house but no one opened the door. The officers knew someone was there, there were lights on. The first officer was about to press the doorbell again when the door cracked opened and a young boy's face peered through to them. The brilliant green eyes widened in surprise when they caught sight of the policemen. He opened the door a bit further. He was dressed like a normal teenager in a pair of dark jeans, black converses and an Element sweatshirt.

"Can I help you?" he asked hesitantly.

"Is this the Baldwin residence?" the first officer inquired.

"Yeah," the boy responded.

"Are Bradley and Jane Baldwin available?" the second officer asked.

"What? No, that's my parents. They went out," the boy told them. He opened the door farther.

"Lee?" a girlish voice called from down the hall. "Who was at the door?" the light, melodic voice wafted over to them as Alicia Laurence stepped into the entry way. Alicia was hardly dressed for the Arizona spring weather in her low waisted army green cargo pants, big brown wraparound leather belt, fuzzy, tight, v-neck beige sweater and brown moccasin boots and tangles necklaces around her neck. Her long dark brown hair fell in its natural light waves down her back.

Like Lee, Alicia's dark blue eyes widened when she saw the officers standing there. "What's going on?" she asked as she stood by Lee's side.

"You are?" the second policeman asked, his voice bordering on rudeness.

Alicia's eyes narrowed. "I'm Alicia Laurence. My parents are out with Lee's."

The two policemen exchanged a quick glance.

"Can you tell us where they are?" the first policeman requested.

"Why?" Lee asked before Alicia had the chance. Alicia shut her mouth quickly. "Did something happen?"

"Your parents will be the first to know anything," the second officer jumped in. "If you could please tell us where we could find them at this time."

"Well, right now, I think, they're at that new Italian Restaurant, I can't remember the name. They're going to Cirque Du Soleil show at like nine," Lee told them.

The first officer scribbled the information into a small notebook. When he done he looked back up at the two teenagers standing before him. "You two had better come with us," he said.

"Why?" Alicia asked again. Her eyes widened in horror as the truth seemed to dawn on her. "Did something happen to Mick?" she asked fearfully.

"Yeah," Lee seconded. "What about Ty? Did something happen to them?"

"We need to find your parents," the officer repeated.

Lee and Alicia stepped through the doorway and Lee closed the door behind them. Alicia gripped his arm tightly as they followed the policemen and got into the back of the squad car.

**The Peak**

Italiano Romanzo, the new Italian restaurant. It was small and dimly lit; the main source of light came from the candles on the tables and from the stained glass lamps hanging overhead. Soft classical music played lightly in the background. The tables were covered with light white satin tablecloths, the glasses were crystal and the finest china money could buy. A basket of fresh, handmade breed adjourned the center of every table and was accompanied with fresh butter and a dish of vinaigrette for dipping.

Wealthy, elegant, aristocratic couples were seated around the circular table. The smallest number of people was two and the largest was a party that occupied the whole far wall, an early wedding present the manger had been told. The wealth and power exuberated off of every individual in the restaurant. Except for the wedding party of course, they remarkably underdressed compared to say, the party of four a table or two away.

There were two women and two men. Two sets of couples, best friends.

The two women sat side by side. The first woman was dresses in a floral, silk halter dress, the bodice was white and skirt sported an elegant floral design in pinks, purples and oranges. The silk charmeuse was styled with a shirred waist and full, pleated skirt. Beads and sequins added a subtle, yet noticeable, sparkle to the dress. The front v-neck met to tie together in the back. A white silk shawl with small pearls bordering the edges was draped over her tan shoulders casually but elegantly at the same time. The soft, vibrant colors magnificently displayed the tan Isabella Laurence had acquired the other week in the Bahamas. Her dark brown hair curled naturally down her straight back. A pair of 700 dollar Emilio Pucci, three inch heels in white and light pink print with a pyramid of purple and deep yellow jewels running up to where a thin strap buckled around her ankle. A pair of white-gold small hoops with twenty-four invisible-set diamonds on each twinkled in her ears and matching circle necklace with diamonds hung around her neck. A gold bracelet hung daintily on her small wrist with diamonds in between the bars of gold. Her jewelry alone cost well over 5000 dollars. No one would guess that she was in her forties and Isabella liked it that way.

Jane Baldwin was just as lavishly dressed as her friend, Isabella Laurence. She wore a midnight blue, satiny Vera Wang halter dress. The dark blue complimented Jane's now creamy white skin fabulously. The neck came up just past her shoulders and the satin ties draped down her back. The waist was intricately designed in beads and it fluttered to an end just below her knees. The dress was exactly the same, besides the color, as the one Isabella had worn to SASSI a few weeks ago. However, the dresses had been custom fit to their bodies. Both women loved to brag that they were close, personal friends of the famous designer herself. Vera Wang was only one of the many.

While Isabella's jewelry obsession lay in diamonds, Jane no doubt favored pearls. Chandelier earrings of pearls and diamonds hung from her earlobes, accentuating her long neck. Pearls hung around her neck and her wrist. A pearl clip held half of her light brown hair behind her head.

And of course, men will be men. But Brad and Harold still managed to look perfect in their suits and silk ties. Brad sported a Breitling, mother of pearl faced watch on one wrist. He was proud to say that it was one of the few in North America. He had received it as a gift from Jane for his birthday. With Jane's connection she could get anything she wanted.

Appearance was important to these people and they would go to all means necessary to ensure that they looked fabulous. They clearly belonged in this expensive restaurant where, if they stayed for a full eight course meal, would cost over 400 dollars a person, not including the wine.

The Baldwin's and the Laurence's ignored the wedding party and paid them no heed but the wedding party was aware of every word that was uttered.

"They're over there," a young male voice cut through the light chatter of the restaurant.

Jane's face flashed a look of confusion, she knew that voice. With the conversation interrupted she looked up, along with Isabella. They wouldn't have been more surprised with what they were seeing if their wine glasses started tangoing with the bread. There were their youngest children, walking towards them, two policemen right on their tails.

"Momma," Alicia cried and hugged her mother tightly.

Isabella stood up and hugged her daughter back. "What's going on?" she asked.

Alicia looked up from her mother's chest and her eyes were wet with tears. "I don't know," she whimpered. "They wouldn't tell us, said they had to tell you first. Oh, momma," she moaned, "I think something happened to Mick and Ty."

"Excuse us for interrupting you dinner," the first policeman interrupted the confused families. "I am Officer Riviera and this is my partner, Officer Block," he gestured to the second policeman who was standing by his side. "I'm afraid we have some troubling news…"

"Oh no," Jane gasped and a hand flew to her mouth.

"I'm going to kill that boy," Brad growled, tossing his napkin down and standing up too. They were completely oblivious to the fact that every eye in the restaurant was turned on them, eagerly watching the drama that was unfolding before their very eyes.

"Brad, calm down," Jane pleaded with her husband.

"No, I will not "calm down"," Brad said defiantly. "That boy gave me his word he wasn't going to do anything and I swear if he's done what I think he's done…" he trailed off, glowering. "But I can tell you one thing for sure," he continued. "If he's gotten himself arrested again I'm not bailing him out. A few days there ought to toughen him up and knock some sense into his head," he said gruffly.

"Sir," Officer Riviera cut into Brad's ranting. "Your sons are not in jail…"

"Well then what's happened?" Isabella asked anxiously, an arm still wrapped around Alicia's shoulders. "Does it concern Mick and Ty at all?"

"It does…" Officer Riviera trailed off uncomfortably. He never liked these kinds of jobs. Not when he was faced with the parents.

Jane noticed his hesitation. "Oh God. Please tell me that they're not hurt," she pleaded helplessly.

"I'm sorry," Officer Riviera began softly. "But I'm afraid that there's been an accident…"

**an: **so there you have it, out of all the chapters I've ever written for any story this is my favorite! I had to stop myself from playing around with it too much. HEHEHEHE! So… you must hate me for that cliffy, eh? Well if you want a sneak peak for the next chapter remember to give me your email and I'll send teasers! This would have been up sooner today, like at noon, but I went flying with my step-dad (who had to renew his pilots license) and his friend in this fucking awesome little airplane and then I needed a new pair of Etnies, mine are messed up just a tad (winkwink). I guess my mom finally got tired of my Converses that I have made a tribute to my FAVORITE My Chemical Romance song, It's Not A Fashion Statement, It's A Death Wish. What? Does she not appreciate my Converses displaying the lyrics to a song that primarily talks about death? Sheesh, what's her problem? So, you get it late, oh well. lol. Well I'm off to see if I have any homework I should do before school tomorrow! To hell with editing! I'm posting it how it is. Review! –Steph


	11. Unnecessary attention

**Authors Note**

Long wait, I know. Oops. Guess what I get to write? A five page (or more) speech on why drilling in Alaska is a good thing and I get to present in front of my whole school. We're having this drilling debate in school and I'm on the 'for drilling' side. It was so much fun today because we didn't have to go to classes; we got to run around school hanging up posters all day. Go people on the 'for drilling' debate team! As usual, I'm putting off doing my work and writing instead. My speech should turn out interesting though… Well here it is anyway, hope you like it. Oh and in the last chapter, Brian and Adam are the same person, I kind of switched names… whoops. His name is going to be Adam though since I have a friend named Brian and I can't name and evil character Brian. Review. –Steph

Thanks to Gracie for writing the newspaper article that appears later in this chapter! It's really good. It's the italicized part so you'll see it. THANKS GRACIE! maybe we'll actually be online at the same time sometime…

**Disclaimer: **based loosely off of the Heartland series created and owned by Lauren Brooke.

**§ The Peak §**

**Chapter 11**

"Ac-accident?" Jane repeated the officer fearfully. "What do you mean 'accident'?"

"I'm sorry, ma'am," Officer Riviera said again.

"Tell us what happened," Isabella requested frantically. "What happened to our sons?"

"If you would please sit down," Officer Block gestured back to the empty seats. Jane and Isabella sat down listlessly, followed by a somewhat reluctant Harold and Brad. Lee and Alicia remained by their respective mothers side.

"We received a call about two hours ago," Officer Riviera began, "From a woman claiming that she had heard noises from Dead Mans Curve…"

"Oh no," Jane gasped and a hand flew to cover her mouth.

"Squad cars and officers were sent to investigate. We found a Mr. Mick Laurence unconscious next to his car a little ways from the start of the road. Mr. Tyler Baldwin was found farther down the road, closer to the Blue Horse Mountains."

"What happened to them?" Isabella asked the officers while trying to sooth her shivering daughter.

"Emergency helicopters arrived on the scene moments later. Tyler and Mick are at the Mayo Clinic Hospital and are receiving emergency care as we speak," Officer Block told them.

"What happened to them?" Brad asked stonily, his hand grinding his crystal wineglass into the expensive silk tablecloth.

"I'm afraid that I'm not authorized to release that information at this time. Please understand," Officer Riviera looked expectantly at the pained expressions the mothers wore, "If I had any information on their condition whatsoever I would tell you but, at this time I do not. I can tell you, however, that both boys are most likely in critical condition. We will escort you to the hospital if you would like."

Jane's face dropped into her hands as she tried to compose herself.

"Mr. Laurence," Officer Riviera addressed Harold. Harold looked up at the officer expectantly. "You can pick up your sons car at the station later," Harold nodded in confirmation and rested a hand on tenderly Isabella's shoulder. "Mr. Baldwin," Officer Riviera addressed Brad now. The officer pulled something out of his navy uniform pants and the silver of the object glinted in his hands. "I'm sorry," the officer said regretfully as he handed Brad the keys to his once glamorous Aston Martin, "But this is all we managed to salvage from Tyler's car."

"I'm going to kill that boy," Brad growled as he juggled the key in his hand.

"Insurance will most likely cover the cost of the damage to the car," Officer Block put in helpfully, thinking that Brad was upset about the car being ruined.

"I'm not worried about the car," Brad answered in reply. "The car is the least of my worries," Brad paused momentarily. "Tell me, who else did you find with my son?" he asked in interest. He'd like to know who the people getting his son into trouble were. Being a successful lawyer had its perks.

"Only Tyler and Mick were found," Officer Block answered with a furrowed brow. "There were other tire marks found near Tyler's car but no one else was there."

Brad nodded his head thoughtfully as he watched the dim light hanging overhead glint off of the keys.

"Can we go to the hospital?" Alicia asked in a soft voice. Underneath her tan her face was pale. "Please?" she begged silently.

"Please, just tell me that my son is okay," Jane begged desperately with the officers again.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," Officer Riviera said with a small shake of his head. "I am not authorized to release that information at this time."

"Damn it!" Brad said loudly as he stood up and looked down at the officers from his towering height. "Do not tell me you are not authorized! For God's sake, this is my son! Tell me what happened to him!" more people were starring at them now.

"Sir," Officer Block addressed the raging man carefully. "If you wish to know anything then I suggest you go to the hospital, the doctors there will tell you everything," he suggested calmly.

"There is one other issue that needs to be discussed at this time," Officer Riviera jumped in hastily. "I understand that both Tyler and Mick got into a bit of trouble two years back, something about street racing. Given the fact that they were participating in an illegal activity and driving as minors the incident was put on their records. Though, both boys are now considered to be legal drivers this incident will not be forgotten. The fact of the matter is that they were trespassing on engaging in activities that are prohibited by the State of Arizona. Both Mick and Tyler have two strikes against them for the same thing. There will of course be fines to pay. Everything can be sorted out at the station later."

Jane picked her head out of her hands and starred at the two officers levelly. "I want to see my son."

Officer Riviera nodded his head. "Very well, if you'll just come with me."

Brad, Jane, Lee, Harold, Isabella and Alicia followed Officer Riviera and Officer Block out of the restaurant. None of them acknowledged he exceedingly interest looks that were tossed in their direction. None, however, were more interested then the wedding party that sat at the back. The tall girl with long, straight light brown hair and gray eyes watched the scene in horror.

Each family got into their respective car and followed the police cruiser on the short, ten minute drive to the Mayo Clinic Hospital.

The Baldwin's and the Laurence's rushed through the sliding glass doors to the Emergency Room. Officer Riviera and Officer Block parted with them at the doors and got back into the cruiser, off to answer another call.

The room was large and clean. Chairs lined the walls and the walls were off-white with a desert themed border. Against the far wall there was a large, long mahogany desk. On the other side of the room there were swinging double doors.

The few people waiting in the Emergency Room looked up questioningly as the group passed. They looked quite out of place in the bleak hospital room. The women wore expensive dresses and heels, the men wore perfectly tailored, expensive suits with silk ties and the two children were casually dressed. For once, neither the Baldwin's nor the Laurence's paid any heed to the people watching them. In their live, there was just one thing more important then appearance and what people thought of them. Family.

"I'm here for my son, Tyler Baldwin," Jane gasped as she came to halt in front of the desk. She set her hands on the top of the wooden surface.

"Yes, and Mick Laurence too," Isabella was right behind Jane.

The receptionist sitting behind the desk looked up from the paperwork she had been filling out slowly. Her brown hair fell in a short bob around her round face and she wore hospital scrubs with sea green pants and a baggy shirt with Disney characters on it. "Can I help you?" she asked politely.

Harold quickly stepped forwards and spoke in a clear, demanding voice. "Mick Laurence and Tyler Baldwin," he said simply.

"Of course, let me just check the computers," the woman looked back at her computer and tapped the two names into it. She paused a moment and then looked back up. "If you would care to take a seat," she motioned to the stiff, cushioned chairs surrounding them, "A doctor will see you shortly."

"Excuse me, ma'am," Brad cut in using his lawyer voice. The, I'm-not-taking-any-shit-so-you-had-better-tell-me-what-I-want-to-know one. "We'd like to know about our sons' conditions."

"I'm sorry, sir," the woman said carefully. "But I cannot issue that information at this moment. A doctor will be with you shortly and he will tell you everything you want to know."

"You don't seem to understand me," Brad said hardly. "This is my son and his best friend. I would like to know his current condition," he repeated.

"I'm sorry, sir," the woman repeated a bit more firmly then the last time. "A doctor will see you in a moment…"

"I will not wait a 'moment'!" Brad exclaimed. "I want to know what happened to my son and I want to know it NOW!" Brad banged his fist down on the desk top so hard that the woman behind the desk jumped slightly in surprise.

"Sir, I'm going to ask that you control yourself. I am doing all that I can here, you will just have to wait until the doctor gets here."

"If you don't get that doctor down here right now, so help me I'll…"

Just then, Brad was cut off of his rant as the door swung opened and banged closed again. A young doctor in a white lab coat with a stethoscope around his neck quickly surveyed the room before heading in the direction of the Baldwin's and the Laurence's. "Mr. and Mrs. Baldwin? Mr. and Mrs. Laurence?" he asked politely in his dead voice as he stopped and stood in front of them.

"Yes," Harold affirmed. "Are you going to tell us what happened to our sons?"

"That I will," the young doctor nodded his head in affirmation. "Would you care to follow me to my office so we can speak in privacy?"

The doctor led them out of the waiting room and took them down starch white hallways until he ushered them through a white door. They entered a smaller room that had the same off-white walls with the desert themed bordering. There was a desk in the center of the room the contained a black, Dell, flat screen computer, various files, a phone and other office supplies. There was leather, office chair of rich brown leather sitting behind the desk. The walls were lined with all of the doctor's medical degrees.

"Please, sit down," the doctor gestured to the four chairs that sat in front of his desk. He sat down behind his desk and the adults took the seats in front of the desk and Lee and Alicia stood behind them. "First, let me introduce myself, I am Dr. Ryder."

"I'm Brad Baldwin and this is my wife, Jane and my son, Lee."

"I am Harold Laurence and my wife, Isabella and my daughter, Alicia."

Once all the introductions had been made, Dr. Ryder turned back to the issue on hand. "I trust you're anxious to learn of your sons conditions…?"

"Yes, please, just tell us that they're okay," Jane begged quietly.

Dr. Ryder did not respond to Jane's plea but a pained look passed briefly across his handsome features. She shifted two files and opened the one on top. "Well. First we have Mick Laurence," he announced. Harold and Isabella listened intently and Alicia crossed her fingers tightly behind her back. "The good news is that Mick was not involved in a car accident. The police report just said that he was found unconscious. The bad news is that there is a crack in the back of his skull but we were able to close it and stitch it back together with five stitches. He also broke his wrist, very minor break though. Mick woke up from the anesthetic about twenty minutes ago."

Isabella and Harold looked weak with relief that their sound was not hurt badly. Alicia released her cramped fingers and sighed deeply. She sucked the breath back in when she realized that they had not heard about Ty yet.

Dr. Ryder closed Mick's file and slowly placed it aside and opened the second file. "Next we have Tyler Baldwin. I am sorry to say that Tyler's injuries are more severe then Mick's are. Again, according to the reports the police left with me, Tyler was involved in the actual car crash. His car was smashed up against the boulders."

Jane paled violently and Brad gripped her hand. Lee was clutching the back of his parents' chairs so hard that his knuckles were turning white.

"He had some blood lose and needed three stitches to close up a wound above his left eyebrow. From the impact of the collision Ty's head would have snapped to the side," the doctor mimed the movement. "He's very lucky he did not break his neck but he has suffered trauma to the head. We had to operate to stop some internal bleeding; Ty has not yet regained consciousness. To put it quite simply, Ty is in a coma."

Jane gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. Brad rubbed her arm in an attempt to sooth her.

"When will he wake up?" Lee asked.

"I can't possibly say. Even with the medical technology we have today it is still impossible to predict when a coma patient will wake up. He could wake up tonight, tomorrow, next week or next month or in three years. It is important for you to understand that there is the chance that he will not wake up at all." Dr. Ryder paused as the stricken Baldwin's absorbed the information. Dr. Ryder took a breath and spoke again. "We also cannot predict any lasting injuries, such as paralysis or memory lose."

"May we see them?" Jane asked as tears filled her eyes.

"Of course, I'll take you to their room now," Dr. Ryder said. He stood up and led the families through the white corridors once again. They got in the elevator and took it to the sixth floor. They got out and walked down more corridors until the reached room number 749.

Dr. Ryder slowly opened the door and gestured for the two families to enter the room. The room was off-white with a desert border, the same as everywhere else. In a way it was nice, it wasn't all blinding white like some hospitals were. There was a large window directly opposite from the door and there was a mahogany table sitting under it. There were several chairs scatter haphazardly around the room.

Ty lay motionlessly on the only bed that was in the room. He was hooked to various different machines that were whirling and buzzing in the background, doing their intended jobs. There was a piece of white gauze on the side of his head and his skin looked extraordinarily pale against the white sheets and blankets. The only color about his was his dark hair that fell across the white pillows messily, always messy, now was no exception.

One of the chairs was occupied by a slumped figure that held his head in his head in his hands, the left one being in a bright, white plaster cast. At the sound of the door opening the person jumped up and looked at the rooms new occupants will wide, navy blue eyes. Mick.

"Oh, Mick!" Isabella cried out in relief and rushed towards her son. She gave him a big hug that he returned gratefully, burying his head into his mother's neck. Alicia hugged her brother too. Even Harold joined in on the sentimental family moment.

Jane, Brad and Lee moved towards the bed where their son, our brother in Lee's case, lay motionless. The covers barely stirred with ever breath Ty took.

Jane sat down in the chair Mick had recently vacated and scooted it closer to her eldest son's side. She carefully picked up his hand, careful not to disturb the tubes attached to it, and rubbed it gently.

"I'm sorry," Mick's voice broke the silence five minutes later. He hung his head and starred at the white tiled floor. His shaggy blonde hair fell in front of his eyes. He looked weak and defeated and the white bandage around his head contrasted drastically with his hair.

"It's not your fault, Mick," Jane assured the teenager quietly.

"But I shouldn't even have let him do it," Mick mumbled.

"Never mind all of that now," Harold berated his son brusquely. "What happened?" he demanded.

"Some guys," Mick began in a mumble, he was tempted to just come out and say who they had been but he knew he shouldn't, "Challenged Ty and me to a… a street race," Mick winced at the words he knew would upset his parents more then anything else.

"I though we talked about this, Mick," Harold said.

"I knew it!" Brad grumbled. "And to think, I let the boy go! If he was awake right now…"

"Brad!" Jane sobbed, astounded. Tear caressed down her pale cheeks. "Don't say that! Please, just don't!" she whimpered. "Whatever you may say no will make no difference in the end."

"What else happened?" Harold prompted his son as Isabella moved to Ty's bedside to attempt to comfort her weeping friend.

"Ton… the guy," Mick quickly amended, "Said that he and Ty would go first. They were gone for about five minutes or so when there was this really loud crash. And then the guys second came towards me and hit me on the head with something hard and metal, I think. Then I don't remember anything."

"Who were these guys you spoke of?" Brad phrased his question like he would have had he been in a courtroom at the time and not in a hospital room standing by his unconscious son.

"I… don't know," Mick said lamely. "We didn't get their names," he muttered.

The subject was dropped then and everyone gravitated towards Ty. Mick lingered where he was and glanced over at his friend.

Ty… who was normally so fun and energetic, often times insane. A partier, someone who like to, knew how to and who wasn't afraid to have a good time. Mick's best friend. Now he lay unmoving on the hospital bed hooked to machine after machine. Mick hung his head and looked back at the ground in shame.

**§ The Peak §**

_Wednesday morning_

_Scottsdale Academy_

_8 o'clock a.m._

It was an extreme rarity for Mick Laurence's hunter green Corvette to arrive at Scottsdale Academy without the famous black Ferrari that belonged to his best friend, Ty Baldwin, near by. But today was one of those days that had only occurred a handful of times in the past. The top was up, another rarity, something bad had happened, everyone could tell already.

The Corvette screeched to an unorthodox screech in a spot and Mick clambered ungracefully out of the low car. He slammed the hunter green door shut forcefully and locked the car before he trudged up towards the school. He wore his mandatory khaki shorts, navy blazer, white polo and liberty blue and deep red, diagonally striped Ty. There was a fresh, white plaster cast on his left wrist.

Mick scowled at all the people who said anything to him. Mick ditched first and second period in retaliation for being made to go to school. He didn't speak to anyone unless absolutely necessary and it seemed that he didn't have any nice or social polite things to say.

Mick clomped into Mr. Bender's War History class twenty minutes late.

"How nice of you to join us, Mr. Laurence," Mr. Bender said from his spot in the front of the class.

Mick didn't even acknowledge the portly, stout man as he marched to his desk in the back and dropped his black schoolbag to the ground with a 'thud'. Mick glared at a senior girl who stared at his cast. She quickly averted her eyes.

"Do you have a late note, Mr. Laurence?" Mr. Bender called back.

Mick looked up as he teacher and his lip curled into a sneer as he took in Mr. Bender's appearance. He wore a pair of horrible, olive green pants that were tight around his chunky thighs and fell an inch and a half above his hideous brown suede clown shoes. Mr. Bender's white button down was barely able to conceal the stomach that hung over the waist of his pants. Coupled with a brown blazer and a tie that said 'World's Greatest Teacher' Mr. Bender had deemed himself ready to go and, if he could say so himself, quite dashing. His thinning brown hair was greasy and his eyes were small and squinty, mouse like. Despite his age, he had bad skin. The brown blazer just barely concealed the rapidly growing pit stains.

"No," Mick replied.

"I'll have to mark you late then, Mr. Laurence," Mr. Bender waddled over to his grade book and marked Mick's lateness down. "As rule number 13 states," he began, his voice muffled as he bent over his desk, his huge buttocks thrust into the air.

"It's a full moon tonight," a boy behind Mick snickered to his friends.

"As rule number 13 states," Mr. Bender began again as he pushed himself off of the desk with a great effort and a small grunt. "Thou shalt not be late to thy studies."

"So?" Mick snapped with a blink. He was in no mood for his teachers antics today.

"Shall I take of more points, Mr. Laurence?" Mr. Bender tutted as he tried to fold his shirt, fat arms over his huge man boobs that would have made the best plastic surgeon swoon with envy. "Rule number 34 clearly says, 'Thou shalt not show any disrespect to thy teachers."

"Wonderful," Mick muttered under his breath.

"Why were you late, Mr. Laurence?" Mr. Bender enquired as he finally gave up trying to cross his arms and shoved them into his pockets instead. Now he looked more like a penguin then ever except he had two bulging lumps on either side of his legs.

"Because I could care less about a stupid war that was 500 years ago."

Mr. Bender's chubby face fell ashen; he loved his subject and could not… would not tolerate any student to criticize it! "Mr. Laurence!" he exclaimed in exasperation. "As rule number 24 says, 'Thou shalt not…"

"I don't give a shit about the fucking rules!" Mick exploded, finally reaching his breaking point.

A stunned silence enclosed over the class. Some of the more studious students that, never in their wildest fantasies, did someone so blatantly disrespect one of their fine educators looked shell-shocked.

Before Mr. Bender could reply, Mick's cell-phone buzzed in his pocket and he yanked it out. "What?" he snapped into the phone without looking at the caller ID first.

"Mick? Is that you?" Missy's sweet voice chirped in his ear.

"Oh, hi, Miss," Mick said wearily as he rubbed a hand across his eyes in fatigue.

"Mick!" Missy suddenly exploded, her voice lost all of its previous 'sweetness'.

"What?" Mick asked slightly startled, he'd never heard Missy yell before.

"What the hell happened?" she demanded. "I saw the paper this morning!" she yelled so loud that Mick had to take the phone away from his ear and slumped forwards when he realized that everyone had heard that comment.

"Missy, calm down," Mick desperately pleaded with her.

"Do not tell me to calm down, Mick Laurence! Tell me what happened! Is that article true?"

Mick glanced around the classroom. Every eye was trained on him in interest. Mr. Bender had shuffled towards his desk and was picking up the unread copy of that mornings newspaper. He scanned the front-page briefly and his eyes focused on something and his mouth dropped open.

"It's true," Mick mumbled.

"What? I didn't catch that," Missy shot back.

"I said, it's true!" Mick burst out.

There was silence on Missy's line and in the classroom. "Well are you okay?" Missy asked, her voice now full of worry and concern.

"_I'm_ fine," Mick replied.

"What about Ty? I tried his cell but he didn't answer."

"Can we talk about this later, Missy? Please?" Mick begged her.

"No we cannot talk about this later, Mick!" Missy exclaimed. "The papers didn't say anything specific about your or Ty's condition. Tell me! Now!"

"Ty's…" Mick stopped when everyone looked at him again. "Ty's in a coma," he mumbled so softly that even Missy didn't stand a chance of hearing him.

"I can't hear you, Mick," Missy said impatiently.

Mick raised his voice a little but even the slight increase carried around the classroom as he spoke. "Ty's in a coma," he repeated.

"What? No! He can't be! When will he wake up?" Missy sobbed.

"I don't know," Mick said leaning back. "The doctor said it could be today or tomorrow or whenever or he might… he might not wake up at all."

After another moment of silence from Missy, she tried her best to compose herself before speaking again. "Is he at the Mayo Clinic?" she asked.

"Yes," Mick responded dejectedly.

"Very well, I'll go visit him later."

Mick closed his phone and slipped it back into his pocket.

"Shall I read the article aloud, Mr. Laurence?" Mr. Bender asked from the front of the class. Mick didn't even bother to answer since he knew that Mr. Bender would just go ahead and read it anyway.

Mr. Bender held the newspaper in front of his face and cleared throat before he started to read.

**_DEAD MAN'S CURVE CLAIMS ANOTHER LIFE?_**

_The laws and warnings to stay off local area Dead Man's Curve, near the Blue Horse Mountains, have once again proved futile – possibly even attractive – to young teenage racers. Another accident involving teenage drivers and high-speed cars has prompted local safety authorities to question the usefulness of the laws surrounding the area._

_Two teenage boys, Tyler Baldwin and Mick Lawrence, both aged 17, were found unconscious near the wreckage of two cars at Dead Man's Curve, late on Saturday night. No others were found. A local woman heard noises from the forbidden area and says it was almost routine for her to call the police. "We get noises round about there almost every weekend. Do they think the laws are actually doing something to stop kids from driving down there? Way I see it, the only way they can stop the accidents at Dead Man's Curve is to fill it in or something … make it completely inaccessible for vehicles."_

_Emergency helicopters were called by police who took both boys to Mayo Clinic Hospital. Doctors will neither confirm nor deny the rumors that street racing caused the accident, nor will they release any information on the condition of the two teenagers. _Continued on page A14.

**§ The Peak §**

_Mayo Clinic Hospital_

_That afternoon_

Mick staggered down the blindingly white hallway after his school day from hell. He stopped at the door numbered 749 and placed his hand on the metal doorknob. He turned it and pushed the door opened. Mick was surprised at all the people crowded into the room. There was him mom and dad, Jane, Brad and of course, since they never seemed to be far from Ty, Amy, Lou, Jake, Soroya, Matt and the rest of the annoyingly large group.

Mick closed the door behind him and took a closer survey of the people in his best friend's room.

His eyes stopped on one person in particular. The one person that had yet to turn around and look at Mick.

There was something familiar about that figure. The man was tall and lean and muscular, his skin creamy white and dark brown hair swept carefully across his forehead. He wore that black, leather jacket… then he turned around in a lithe dancers pivot and Mick starred into those haunting brown eyes that were so dark they were almost black.

When Mick finally found his voice it was loud and angry. "What the _hell_ are you doing here!"

**a/n: **review! -Steph


	12. Everything comes back

**a/n: **Hey guys! Sorry it took so long, been busy doing stuff. Finals next week and I'm writing an original story, if you want a summary then email me or it's on chapter four of Vampires Will Never Hurt You. And remember when I said I did something to thigh in track like three months ago? Yeah, it's gotten no better and man is it weird when you can't feel your leg. That is why my whole day off for Memorial Day is being spent in front of my laptop. And I forget what the day should be in this story so let's just say that the wedding is in a week. LOL. Review! –Steph

**Note: **Since Ty is only in a coma for a few days it's not going to be like in the books. So no comments on how unrealistic it may be, please.

**Disclaimer: **Based loosely off of the Heartland series by Lauren Brooke.

**The Peak**

Previously…

Mick closed the door behind him and took a closer survey of the people in his best friend's room.

His eyes stopped on one person in particular. The one person that had yet to turn around and look at Mick.

There was something familiar about that figure. The man was tall and lean and muscular, his skin creamy white and dark brown hair swept carefully across his forehead. He wore that black, leather jacket… then he turned around in a lithe dancers pivot and Mick starred into those haunting brown eyes that were so dark they were almost black.

When Mick finally found his voice it was loud and angry. "What the _hell_ are you doing here!"

**Chapter 12**

"Mick!" Isabella exclaimed in shock at her son's very rude outburst. "I'm sorry, Tony," she turned to the man in the black leather jacket, "please pardon my son's rude behavior, he's not been at his best these past few days," she said the last part quietly.

Mick heard it anyway and scowled in an annoyed manner. "What are you doing here?" he asked again in a hard voice.

"I heard what happened to Ty in the newspapers," Tony spoke in a slightly accented voice. His accent was undefined; it could have been from anywhere. "So I thought I should come and give my regards to his family."

Mick was furious. But, before he could lash out at Tony, Brad jumped in.

"And it's wonderful to see you, Tony, my boy!" Brad clapped the young man on the shoulder enthusiastically. Tony was the son of some of Brad's former clients. Clients who happened to be good friends of Brad's, maybe their friendship was semi biased considering Brad had not only won their case but $750,000 as well.

Tony flashed a sickeningly sweet smile to Mick. "It's great to see you again, too, Brad, and you too Jane, Isabella and Harold."

Mick cringed as Tony addressed his parents and his best friends parents so casually.

"It takes a lot of nerve for you to be here," Mick said loud enough so that everyone in the over crowded room could hear him.

Tony turned slowly to look at Mick and his eyes blazed.

"You almo…"

Mick was cut off by Tony. "I am just here to see a friend okay," he said sincerely.

Mick snorted. "You almost killed Ty!" he yelled.

"Mick!" Harold exclaimed, outraged. "That is no way to talk about Tony! Stop being ridiculous," he chided his son harshly. "Honestly." Harold then turned to Tony, "I am terribly sorry about my son's behavior, he recently suffered a substantial blow to the head, he's a bit out of sorts I'm afraid."

"I'm not out of sorts!" Mick mimicked his father. "And I sure as hell didn't imagine it when Tony rammed his car against Ty's into the boulders! He almost killed him! For all the good he's done it would have made no difference if he had killed him!" Mick exclaimed with a glance at his deathly still friend lying in the white bed sheets.

"Mick! That is no way to talk! I know you're upset about Ty but that does not give you the right to blame the accident on the first person you see," Isabella reprimanded him.

"It was him," Mick insisted, "he's the one that challenged Ty to the race and then I don't know what happened. They started the race and I stayed at the start with Tony's second. They were gone for a few minutes and then there was a huge crashing noise and then Tony's second hit me on the head with something and I don't remember anything!"

"Mick," Isabella stood in front of her son and addressed him calmly. "You've told us all of that before but you said you didn't know who the other people were."

"I didn't want to say anything incase he decided to come back," Mick moaned.

"Have you ever thought of writing a book, Mick?" Tony asked carefully. "You're quite good at making up stories. I have never engaged in street racing, it is a dangerous thing to do and I find no thrill in destroying perfectly good cars."

"Oh, so Ty's dad's Aston Martin wasn't good enough? Would it have been more rewarding to smash up a million dollar Ferrari Enzo?" Mick spat sarcastically. Tony's eyes widened. "Yes, that's right. Ty was going to bring his Enzo but Brad wanted it that night."

"Mick, stop this crazy talk now," Brad demanded. "We know it was street racing that caused the accident but you are not aloud to blame Tony for the accident. Ty's accident is unfortunate but he knew the consequences of his actions. Tony is a good boy, from a good family. She would not engage in something as petty as street racing."

Mick blinked slowly a few times, trying to gather himself.

"Perhaps I should go," Tony spoke up, breaking the uncomfortable silence, "I do not want to create problems at this hard time."

"Yes, leave," Mick barked at Tony.

Tony said his goodbyes and exited the room. On his way to the door he whispered in a voice so low that only Mick could here it, "I'll be back." Mick clenched his jaw and ground his teeth in frustration. He would kill Tony, when there weren't so many witnesses around.

"I'm ashamed to call you my son, Mick Laurence," Harold said coldly once Tony was safely out of the room. "You are walking on very thin ice, young man, and it is even thinner now," Harold warned Mick.

"Mick, you had no right to go off on Tony like that just now. It was unacceptable," Isabella said with a shake of her head.

"Fine," Mick said, "when Ty wakes up, you can ask him who tried to kill him. Ask him, I dare you. See if he doesn't say it was Tony."

"I think it would best if you went home now, Mick," Harold stated.

"I'm not going anywhere," Mick said stubbornly as he plopped himself down in a chair near Ty's bedside.

Fifteen minutes later it was still silent in the room. All the adults excused themselves and left the room to go down to the cafeteria. Only Mick, Lee, Alicia, Amy, Soroya, Tom, Joni and Matt were left in the hospital room, still a fair number of people.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Mick asked them scornfully. The Virginia group flinched as Mick's wrath was turned upon them. "Has Ty not made it perfectly clear that he wants nothing to do with you by now?" Mick paused and looked at Amy thoughtfully, "Except you. Ty likes you for some reason," Mick amended and then turned away. He missed the blush that heated Amy's face.

"We've known Ty longer then you and we met him long before you ever did," Matt said coldly. He didn't want to be here, he could care less if Ty died right that very instant. It was only because Amy was so adamant on coming that he was here. "We have every right to be here."

"You didn't know Ty," Mick said firmly. "You knew a little, pathetic farm boy that does not exist anymore," he said confidently. "You say Ty liked horses and enjoyed scooping horse shit for hours but really. I mean come on. If you knew Ty at all you would be able to see what a load of horse shit that was," Mick snickered at his little joke.

"And if you knew Ty at all," Matt shot back, "You'd know that this isn't how he normally is. He was…"

"Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah," Mick said in a bored voice. "Give it a rest, will you? I'm not interested in someone I don't know. I know Ty and the Ty I know is lying right there," he pointed to Ty's still and pale form. "Don't hold any of your delusional fantasies too close. When he wakes up he'll be the same person he was before the accident."

"Are you sure about that?" Amy spoke up. "Last time he was in an accident he didn't remember his previous life."

"Okay you all have to stop this now," Lee demanded. "I've known Ty for all of what you're both talking about. I'm confident in saying that when Ty wakes up he will be no different then he was when he went into the coma. During his life in Virginia there was always a part, albeit it was a small part but a part nonetheless, that was rebellious and searching for good times and trouble. During the time we've lived here, in Arizona, there has not been a trace of his Virginia self. Don't get you hopes up; he's not going to come running back to you and your run down horse farm with open arms." Lee grinned broadly as he finished his speech.

"Remember who his true friends are," Mick always had to put in the last word.

"A true friend wouldn't have let him race," Soroya put in.

Mick laughed. "I tried to stop him," he admitted, "but Ty's too stubborn for his own good. Besides, you don't forfeit in street racing. We would have both lost our cars and our reputations would be ruined."

"Reputations don't seem so important right now," Amy said logically.

"You'd be surprised," Mick laughed at how naive they were. "When you are someone like Ty, or myself, everything that happens around you everyday could either lead to the rise or the fall of your reputation. Believe when I assure you that Ty's reputation, and my own, has only skyrocketed because of this whole little incident. There's nothing more irresistible then a bad boy," Mick smirked.

"He's right, you know," Alicia spoke up on her brothers' behalf. "Welcome to the world of the cool kids…" Alicia eyed the Heartland group up and down. She was a little more then a bit shocked at the lack of designer clothes she saw there. "Which you are obviously not a part of."

The mismatched group fell into an awkward silence.

Alicia sat daintily on Ty's bed. She picked up his hand gently and held it in front of her face. She traced the scratches and cuts that marred the perfect skin. Alicia looked down at Ty's face and carefully brushed his wavy hair away from his eyes.

Amy stared at the younger girl as she spoke gently into Ty's ear. Amy looked away purposefully as Alicia lay on her side next to Ty on the small bed. Amy looked out of the window that overlooked the desert. She tried to squash down the feeling of jealousy that welded inside of her, but the attempts were in vain. She wanted nothing more then to take Alicia's place next to Ty. She wanted to be the one talking to him.

Alicia looked so at ease next to Ty that it made Amy sick. She knew that Alicia was only Ty's best friend's kid sister but still. She could not deny the fact that Alicia knew Ty better then she did.

A low groan escaped Ty's dry lips and Alicia shot up. She looked down at Ty carefully and Lee and Mick moved closer to his side as well. Alicia settled herself into a sitting position before she shook his hand gently. "Ty?" she spoke clearly in her light, girlish voice. "Ty, wake up." She shook his hand again.

Ty's eyes fluttered open slowly and he look around his surrounding slowly. "Back here again," he groaned and his eyes closed once again.

"Eh! You're up!" Alicia sang brightly and hugged Ty tightly. It was a bit awkward considering Ty was lying down but Alicia could have cared less.

Ty groaned.

"Sorry!" Alicia let go of his and sat up again.

Ty's eyes opened again and blinked a few times before his emerald eyes were able to focus on his surroundings.

Mick made a movement to press the button on the wall to call for the nurse but Ty's hand shot up suddenly and he stopped Mick. "Don't get any of the doctors or nurses, not yet," he managed a ghost of his famous grin.

Mick moved away from the button on his friends command.

"Do you remember what happened?" Mick asked a few more minutes. He prayed that Ty would remember. He seemed to know who Mick was, that was a good thing.

Ty's eyes closed again as he thought for a minute. "I'm going to kill Tony," he said.

Mick laughed brightly and happily at Ty's comment. He remembered! Mick had won. He flashed a smirk to the Heartland group on the other side of the room. Amy's eyes lowered. She had secretly hoped that Ty wouldn't remember any of his time in Arizona.

"Holly crap," Ty said muttered suddenly and rubbed a hand across his face.

"Are you okay?" Lee asked his elder brother in concern.

"We're in Arizona, right?"

"Yeah…" Lee slowly clarified. He looked down at Ty in confusion.

"I'm eighteen, I live in Scottsdale, Arizona, I'm a senior at Scottsdale Academy, I love to party and I hang out at The Peak. Correct?" Ty asked for verification.

"Yes. Ty, what's all this about?" Mick asked.

"I'm… not sure," Ty replied, his eyes still closed. "I hate horses, right?"

"Uh, yeah," Mick said slowly.

"That's what I thought," Ty smiled softly. The smile disappeared suddenly and Ty frowned. "But I didn't used to… interesting," he mussed.

"Ty, what the hell is going on?" Mick asked, a tiny twinge of fear entered his voice.

"I'm not sure," Ty said thoughtfully. "The nurses haven't been in recently and given me pain medication, have they?"

Mick looked to Lee and Alicia, they had been there longer. "No," Lee said.

"Okay," Ty said.

"Is something wrong, Ty?" Alicia asked lightly. All traces of concern hidden well.

"I don't… think so," Ty said softly. He opened his eyes again and gave the room the privilege of seeing his exclusive grin. "I'm good," he assured them all.

"Should we get the nurse now?" Alicia asked.

"Sure," Ty said simply. He dropped his head back against the pillows and closed his eyes again.

Alicia repeatedly jabbed her finger on the button on the wall until a frazzled nurse entered the room. Only then did she stop.

"Can I help you?" she asked tiredly. She was a little annoyed that she had entered a room full of kids. This was probably a prank. Her eyes widened when she saw just who was lying on the bed. "Is there… is there something the matter?" she asked quickly.

Alicia skipped back to Ty's side and sat back on the bed. "He's up," she simply in that singsong voice of hers.

The nurse peered closely at Ty. She frowned. His eyes were closed. "He's sleeping…" she said. Or at least started to say. Ty's eyes sprang open and his startling green eyes met her brown eyes. "Oh my," she said, scrambling for what she should do. She was new at the hospital. "I'll be getting Dr. Ryder," she said hurriedly before she scampered out of the room.

Ty chuckled lightly but stopped as the movement hurt his chest.

Five minutes later the young doctor strode confidently into the room, Brad, Jane, Isabella, Harold and all the others hot on his heels.

Jane rushed passed Dr. Ryder and came as close to running as humanly possible without actually breaking into a run as she made her way towards Ty.

She leaned over him and hugged him tightly to her chest. "Ty! How are you? Do you feel okay?" she asked pathetically. It was the only thing her brain could come up with at the time.

"I'd be better if I could breeze," Ty wheezed out against his mother's firm grip on him.

Jane quickly let Ty go and smoothes his back in a very motherly way. "I'm sorry," she whispered. She put both her hands on either side of Ty's face and smoothed her thumbs along his cheeks, she was careful not to disturb the white bandage above his left eyebrow. Her eyes filled with tears as she looked down at her eldest son. She blinked them away quickly and turned to the doctor.

Dr. Ryder was checking all of the machines and writing the results down on his clipboard. He nodded his head after each reading. Isabella, Harold and Brad hovered near Ty's bed with Alicia, Lee and Mick. The Heartland group watched the proceedings from nearby the window.

"It's good to see you awake, Ty," Dr. Ryder said as he looked down at Ty. Ty didn't say anything so Dr. Ryder continued. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Ty answered simply.

Dr. Ryder nodded his head and scribbles something else down on his clipboard. "I am aware that about three years ago you landed yourself in a similar position. You lost your memories when you woke up that time, do you remember everything now?" he asked.

"Yes," Ty said.

Dr. Ryder scribbled the information down hurriedly. "Do you by any chance remember anything that happened before you moved to Arizona?" Dr. Ryder looked up and gazed unnervingly at the teenager. Ty shifted uncomfortably.

"I… might," he finally answered unsurely.

Something dropped the ground over by the window but no one paid any attention to it.

"You might?" Dr. Ryder repeated. "Do you recall your first accident?" Dr. Ryder asked.

"It's… possible," Ty said slowly, not liking how the conversation was going.

"Can you tell us about it?" Dr. Ryder requested. He wrote something else down on his clipboard.

Ty sighed and closed his eyes. If only he could tell the doctor exactly what he should do with his clipboard. But, even his weak state, Ty knew he had to play his cards right to avoid more trouble then was necessary from his parents.

Ty was well aware of all the eyes focused on him.

"Um…" he began uncertainly but instantly stopped. _'Um'?_ He scoffed in disbelief in his head. Ty Baldwin did not say 'um.'

He shook it off and concentrated on the faint but present memory. "There was tornado… oh; I worked at Heartland, a horse farm that helped abused horses or something like that. There had been a recent out break of some horse flu and… we were bringing the horses in because there was supposed to be a storm and we found another horse with the flu…" Ty concentrated hard to try to recall the horse that it had been, "I can't remember which one it was," he said in a hard voice.

"It's alright, Ty," Dr. Ryder noticed Ty's expression. "Continue."

"It started raining really hard and we all went up to the house and then… there's something else, I know there is but I can't remember what," Ty frowned, annoyed.

"Can you tell us who was there, Ty?" Dr. Ryder asked, scribbling Ty's answers down on the clipboard.

"Amy, Jack, Lou and… some guy named Ben."

"Good," Dr. Ryder nodded, pleased. "Continue, please."

"Then I remember hearing a crash and Amy ran up the stairs, we had been in the basement I think, and opened the front door. I followed her down to t he barn, it was the one with the sick horses; a tree had fallen through the roof. The horses were all terrified and… I think I was about to open the door and go in when… someone, Jack I think, stopped me. We went back up to the house and once the rain had let up a little we went back down to the barn. Amy and I went in because we knew the horses and they would be more relaxed with us, while Jack went to see about the emergency generator." By now everyone was hanging onto the words Ty spoke softly like they were a lifeline. "The worst of the damage was at the back of the barn over two stalls. Sweetie… no Candy and Dylan. I think I decided that we had to get them out now because that might be our only chance. I went to get Dylan and Amy went to Candy." Ty stopped again and his frown depend. "The rest I', not sure of the exact order of events," he mumbled.

"That's alright, Ty, just tell us what you can," Dr. Ryder assured Ty. He wrote some more on his clipboard.

"I went to Dylan's stall and shinned my flashlight in, it scared the horse and he kicked the walls. Then, I think I opened the door to Dylan's stall and… might have put on his halter. There was a creak in the roof and Dylan barged past me, knocking me against the door… no that's wrong," Ty said in frustration. "I got Dylan on the lead rope and tried to lead him out and he wouldn't go. That's when a piece of wood fell from the ceiling and landed on his back. He got frightened and that's when he barged past me, knocking me into the stall door. Then there was a really loud clap of thunder as I was getting up and… Dylan kicked the wall and then… I don't remember. Beams started to fall and Amy screamed and then nothing," Ty stopped and kept his eyes closed.

"Is that accurate? More or less?" Dr. Ryder directed the question to Amy. Amy nodded her head mutely.

Ty didn't see her nod but he knew he was right. The funny thing was he wished he was wrong. He didn't want to remember any of it. He just wanted to go back to his life. He liked his life, the one he'd had in the past three years and had no desire to return to Virginia and horses and all of it.

Dr. Ryder carried on a hushed conversation with everyone else in the room for about five minutes. Ty just lay there with his eyes closed; he didn't care what they were saying about him.

"Well, Ty," Dr. Ryder cleared his throat, "I'll come back and check on you in a bout an hour but you look pretty good to me. You should be out of here in two days. I'll leave you all now to talk." Ty heard Dr. Ryder's footsteps leaving the room.

No one said anything for five more minutes. Ty wondered if they had all left him but he didn't care enough to actually open his eyes and look.

Finally someone spoke to him. It wasn't his mom, dad, brother or Mick, that much he was sure of. But he didn't care enough to make the effort to tell who it had been.

"So," the person began hesitantly, "Ty, would you… would you like to, in a few months of course, maybe when schools over, come to Virginia to visit Heartland?" the voice was female and sounded hopeful.

Ty remained silent and the others began to think he had fallen back asleep.

"Truthfully?" the single word came out clear and startled everyone.

"Um, yeah, the truth is good," someone said hesitantly.

Ty took a deep breath before he spoke. "I could honestly care less about remembering any of it. I like my life as it now and I have now desire whatsoever to return to Virginia, even for a few days. I may remember but that doesn't mean I have to care, that stuff is hardly even a part of me anymore. In all honesty, I wish you had never come here. Just have your wedding and then leave Arizona. Just leave and let me return to the life I had before you ever showed up. You've messed everything up in the few weeks you have been here. There has to be someone else you can bother, just leave me alone."

**a/n: **it's really short… --pouts— oh well. I'll update soon(ish). I don't feel like editing so whatever, there are mistakes but I don't care much. Oh yeah and I'm really bored so I have a question… if you were in Hogwarts (Harry Potter) which of the four houses would you be in? I know what I'd be in; I'll tell you in the next chapter, you're free to guess. LOL. Review! -Steph


	13. Save a horse, Ride a cowboy

**Authors Note**

Hey guys! What's up?

Thanks for all of the reviews! And thanks to all those who answered my incredibly random question. There really is a bunch of you Gryffindors out there reading this, I was kind of shocked. Actually I wasn't, I expected almost everyone to say Gryffindor or Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw. I didn't expect any Slytherins among us…

Now, as for my house… I'm not a Gryffindor –gasp—right? I'm a Slytherin. I am a Slytherin through and through. I LOVE Dark!Harry fics (either with Harry has Voldemort's "son" and heir or other) and I am pro Dark Side, I love Draco Malfoy and Voldemort and snakes, I have a fascination with snakes and love the Slytherin colors, black, silver, dark green, favorite colors. I HATE Hermione, Ron, Dumbledore, The Order, and all that other woohoo we're Light Side stuff. I do like Fred and George Weasly though, they ARE hot. They're even better when the join the Dark Side. How could you want to kill Voldemort though? He's just a guy that wants to take over the world and dark magic is H-O-T! (So is Voldemort in the second Harry Potter movie –wink wink— of course Daniel Radcliff (Harry Potter) and Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) are not hard on the eyes either…) I am a hard core Slytherin. I think EXACTLY like J.K Rowling portrays the Slytherins. I might not be out right all the time but it's the way my mind works, I think about things through before I act (none of the Gryffindor pride and bravery crap for me) and nothing slips by me, I catch everything, sometimes that is not such a great thing. And I recently reclaimed the title of Most Evil from Shawna; I just have a more subtle way of going about things, at first, watch out later. I often times have to keep my true Slytherin self in check (he-he) and I am more of an observer, I observe things before I jump into anything, and no one ever suspects quiet, innocent Steph from doing _anything_ bad. Tis a good life I tell you.

On the down side, no actually really knows me, except my mom, brother and step-dad. They know me a bit too well I'd say, though they don't know _everything_. If someone at school particularly gets on my nerves I don't jump in and start a fight, I could, easily, but I find I'm stronger with words. My friends have caught glimpses of said self occasionally and they're all like "Go Steph! Wooohoooo!" after the initial shock that I would do something like that… and so if you ask anyone that doesn't KNOW me they will tell that I am shy and quiet. If you ask someone that does KNOW me they will tell you that I am on occasion quiet but I'm really not at all shy. Ah, the life of being a "shy girl". It defiantly has its perks. You can't imagine the faces on some people when I've said something that they would consider out of line for me. Priceless.

So, in conclusion, I am a true Slytherin at heart. And a tip of advice, you really don't want to get on my bad side. Go ahead if you really want to but I wouldn't if I were you. But I can flame like none of your business so you've been warned. I think Shawna will agree with me on the flaming part since we laughed about that tons on IM the other night. Feel free to check out the flame in question if you have any doubts whatsoever on my skills. I won't tell you exactly where it is (to save said author from further embarrassment)… just that it is in the Heartland category and you can not miss it. It might seem wrong, but I am quite pleased with myself. Reading it over makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. No laughing at Steph. Just because I have different views on what is fun then you Gryffindors…

In other news around the world… I have no idea what is going to happen in this chapter so fingers crossed that something good turns up. If it sucks… well then don't complain to me… or do. Review!

And a quick note, if one more person tells me that they hated the last chapter because Ty was "mean"… I will seriously delete this story… or continue it privately and email it to the deserving people. Ty was a tad bit mean but that's nothing, if you didn't like that then maybe you shouldn't read further. There was actually a reason he acted like that, several people guessed it.

-Steph

**NOTE (READ): **I said this in the last chapter (I think) but I messed up on what day it should be now in the story. I think its Wednesday I just forgot what week it was. So I don't care if this is accurate or not but it is now Saturday ONE WEEK BEFORE the weeding. Enjoy. Oh and this chapter might show some more T rated stuff. You've been warned. Nothing too bad though… just some cowboy jokes –wink wink— oh and my motto is in here too.

**Disclaimer: **based loosely on stuff owned by Lauren Brooke. I don't own Ty but I DO own Mick so BACK OFF! I used a part of a song; the lyrics are bolded so I don't own that part either.

**The Peak**

**Chapter 13**

_Saturday_

"I always knew it…" Mick huffed, staggering into the clearing where Ty was already perched comfortably on a large bolder. Ty turned to face Mick and the rest of his friends, they were all sweating and dusty from the sand, dirt and rocks. The hot, late spring Arizona sun beat down on them with a vengeance.

"Knew what?" Ty prompted his friend with an insane grin.

"I always knew that you were insane," Mick said clearly as he collapsed onto the boulder next to Ty. The rest of the group took their respective seats on the smaller boulders that framed Ty's throne.

Ty grinned wickedly at Mick and his emerald green eyes twinkled mischievously. "Insanity and brilliance are often mistaken for the other."

"Yeah, maybe they are, but you _are_ insane. There's no way around that fact." Mick replied from where he was lying on his back across the boulder with a muscular and tanned arm draped across his eyes to block out the sun.

Ty lent backwards, bracing himself on his arms. "Maybe…" he mussed. "Brilliant too though."

"And I'm Little Mo Beep," Mick grunted.

"Where are your sheep, Miss Beep?" Ty jumped nimbly off of the boulder, dodging the arm that Mick swung at him easily.

"It's Little Bo Peep, you know," a snotty, male voice cut into the boys laughter.

Ty threw his arms above his head in exasperation. "If you wanted a piece of Ty Baldwin all you had to do was ask," Ty remarked casually, choosing the sarcastic way instead of the annoyed alternative. The group of Arizona boys smirked at Matt and Tom, who had just pushed their way through the dense, pathetic bushes surrounding their sight. "There's enough of me to go around."

"What's wrong?" Mick asked in a mock sympathetic voice as he pushed himself off of the rock and stood by Ty's side. "Don't you throw your lasso that way?" he asked innocently.

Tom and Matt blinked in confusion but their eyes widened when the understood what Mick was implying. Mick and Ty and the rest of their group laughed loudly at the two Virginia boys faces. Mick raised an arm above his head and swung it around, like he was preparing to let go of a lasso.

"Now that, my friend," Mick began, turning to face Ty, "_was_ brilliance," he said proudly with a firm nod of his head.

"Insanity and brilliance are often mistaken for the other," Ty said again with a grin.

"You're sick," Matt's face twisted into an ugly grimace.

"Aw come on," Ty began, his eyes glinting wickedly, "we're in the desert. It was just a little desert humor."

"It wasn't very funny," Tom said, stony faced.

Ty scowled at the two intruding boys. He grinned again as an idea struck him. "Don't get your tighty whities in a twist," Ty joked, Tom turned red, "it was a _joke_, a J-O-K-E, joke. Ever heard of them?"

"I was under the impression that J-O-K-Es were supposed to be funny," Tom shot back.

"Well you're horse snobs," Ty scoffed in disgust. Then he grinned again, it was that famous grin that adorned his features whenever he was scheming. "Maybe you'll like this one better…

**Riding up and down Broadway**

**on my old stud Leroy**

**And the girls say**," Ty began belting out the lyrics to the end of Big & (and) Rich's Save a Horse Ride a Cowboy.

Mick and the rest of their group picked up as Ty waved a hand for them to jump in.

"**Save a horse, ride a cowboy**." They sang clearly and perfectly, just like Ty had.

"**Everybody says**," Ty continued with the song. His voice adopting a perfect western twang.

"**Save a horse, ride a cowboy**," the others answered in unison.

"**What? What?"** Ty cupped a hand to his ear and lent slightly in the others direction.

"**Save a horse, ride a cowboy**," the others shouted back.

"**Everybody says**," Ty sang one last time.

"**Save a horse, ride a cowboooooooooooooooy!"** the others threw open their arms as they held the last note for affect.

"And _that_, my dear ol' friend," Ty turned to Mick and clapped him of the shoulder, "is brilliance." Ty bowed deeply for emphasis.

Mick rolled his eye exaggeratedly. "As you said, "insanity and brilliance are often mistaken for the other"," Mick mimicked Ty. If it was anyone else other then Mick that mimicked him, Ty would have seen that they never did it again. But being best friends with Ty Baldwin defiantly had its perks. "That defiantly falls into the insane category."

"I wasn't the only one singing," Ty reminded Mick.

"Hey, it's not _me_ that has a problem admitting to insanity," Mick reasoned.

"I never said I had a problem admitting to insanity," Ty challenged.

Mick's eyebrow rose as he looked at Ty skeptically. "Well then wha…"

"I hate to interrupt your little lover's quarrel," Matt cut in sharply. He paused and watched Ty, hoping to see that his words had had some affect of Ty. Ty crossed his arms and waited for Matt to continue. When Matt did continue, he wasn't as confident as before, that emerald eyed gaze that Ty fixed him with made him shift his weight from foot to foot uncomfortably. If you ever saw 24, it was a stare that could rival that of Jack Bauer's and that guy had the whole stare down. (a/n: man he has a good stare! I am so jealous of him. I have the "evil eye" though)

Mick noticed Matt's behavior too and glanced at Ty. Mick shook his head but even he knew the affects that that stare could have on one but he felt no pity for the younger boy.

"We need to talk," Tom jumped in quickly to save his friend from anymore humiliation.

"Do we?" Ty looked thoughtful. "I really don't think we do. Wait… maybe we should talk about your crude fascination with me. I could report you for stalking you know, it helps having the states best lawyer as your father." Ty winked.

"We're not stalking you," Matt replied indignantly.

"Really? You could have fooled me," Ty met them with his level gaze. "So then how is it one of you always manages to show up wherever the hell I am? I surprised I haven't found one of you in my bed yet!"

"And this really isn't going anywhere," Mick cut in, his eyes blazing. "So, if you would…" he gestured with his hands for Matt and Tom to go back the way that they had come.

"We're not going anywhere until we talk," Matt surprised Mick by saying.

Mick opened his mouth to something that would undoubtedly have been of the nasty variety had Ty not held up his hand.

"Let him talk," Ty said calmly.

"You really hurt my friend," Matt blurted out.

Ty blinked. "You have a lot of friends," he said even though he knew exactly who Matt was talking about.

"You know exactly who I'm talking about." When Ty didn't say anything Matt sighed. "Amy."

Ty's scowl deepened. "Oh, her? What about her?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about!" Matt yelled at Ty forcefully. It unnerved him to no end when all Ty did was blink. He'd expected a teeny tiny little flinch at the very least.

"Apparently you didn't understand what I told you," Ty growled, his fun was over and now he was just plain pissed off. "I told you to leave me alone, I don't want to see you or talk to you or have anything to do with any of you! Leave. Me. Alone." He emphasized the three words as though he were talking to a slow five-year-old.

"You didn't mean that," Matt said simply with a shrug of broad shoulders.

Ty was speechless for one of the few times in his life. "You're joking, right?"

"Why would I be joking? I know you didn't mean what you said."

Ty took a deep breath so he wouldn't do something rash. "You can leave now," Ty said eventually, looking pointedly at the way Matt and Tom had come from.

"We have to talk," Matt said once again in a voice that he hoped was commanding and persuasive.

"No, we really don't," Ty said firmly. Matt opened his mouth to argue with the hardheaded Ty but to prove his point on how little he wanted to talk, Ty turned his back on Matt and Tom and wandered back to his rock.

Mick stared at Ty. "What?" Ty asked like he really had no clue what Mick was looking at.

Mick burst out laughing and had to lean against the big boulder so he didn't fall over. "What did you take this morning?" he burst out, still laughing quite hard.

"Just those pills the doctor prescribed," Ty shrugged.

"You're sure?" Ty nodded in response to Mick's question. "And you only took the prescribed dose?" Ty grinned and Mick shook his head. "You know you're supposed to do what the doctor says, right?"

Ty shrugged innocently. "Hey, Dr. Cowboy never told me exactly how many to take. He said from five to eight pills twice a day."

"And you took eight," Mick stated.

Ty didn't answer. Mick started to laugh again.

Matt made a noise from behind Ty that indicated he was disgusted.

Ty spun around and glared furiously at the two boys. "Are you waiting for an invitation to get the hell away from me?"

"You're sick," Matt sneered.

Ty groaned, the boy couldn't even sneer right! "That's why I took medication this morning."

"You overdosed," Matt accused.

"Actually, I didn't," Ty denied, "Doctor said five to eight pills twice a day. I didn't take over that."

"Yeah, well, you probably didn't even need eight!" Matt exclaimed, clinging to whatever argument he could make.

"What's your point?" Matt gaped at Ty. "Jesus," Ty groaned, "you really do live in a small town, don't you? Welcome to the twenty-first century!"

"My towns not _that_ small. Are you insinuating that all teenagers in this day and age overdose and prescribed medication?" Matt asked.

"For someone with a head so small, you sure do use a lot of big words," Ty laughed. "And that's not what I said. I took that amount of pills that I felt was…" Ty paused for a second, "right," he concluded.

"You didn't take them because you needed them," Matt said in a prissy voice.

"What the hell are you people?" Mick burst out. "You really are stalkers if you care _that_ much about what Ty does. He's told you and your cow hick friends to get lost more then once and yet… you don't! There's something seriously wrong with that. Has it not registered yet that Ty doesn't like you? Doesn't like _any_ of you? Now, perhaps you missed the signs and markers on the trail head that said to stay on the path."

"You're not on the path," Tom challenged.

"Do you _know_ who I am?" Mick shot back incredulously. "Do you know who my parents are? Who Ty's parents are? They already know we go off the trails, we've been doing this for two years, they don't care! You on the other hand… we could report to a Ranger Joe. A five hundred dollar fine is pocket change to us but you two…" Mick eyed them up and down and his lips curved into a perfect sneer as he took in their ordinary and plain clothing, "five hundreds what to you? The amount of money mommy and daddy let you spend after your bar mitzvah? The amount of money you're allowed to spend in one year?"

Matt shook with rage. They had no right to insult him like that! All he was trying to do was protect one of his best friends!

"Fine, we'll go," Matt said, his voice filled with suppressed rage. "But first," he stayed where he was and Ty frowned, "I have something that I need to make very clear to you, pretty boy," Matt tried his hand at insulting Ty. Ty looked like he was about to burst out in laughter. Matt cleared his throat and continued, "Amy is my _friend_, one of my _best_ friends. And for some reason she can't let go of the notion that you are the Ty she knew two years ago. She won't listen to me or Tom or Soroya or Joni when we tell her otherwise. She still thinks that you are some… some great person. But you're not; you're a slacker, a druggie and a womanizer…"

"Whoa! WHOA!" Ty exclaimed and held up a hand to stop a startled Matt. "Slacker? I don't think so. Druggie? I am not a druggie, okay? And a womanizer? Where the hell did you get that idea?"

Matt narrowed his eyes. "Oh yeah, right. I saw you at that party that Amy insisted we go to. I saw you when you got home at noon that one morning and you didn't even remember who you were with!" Matt said in rage and disgust. "That is disgusting."

Ty frowned but refused to respond to Matt's accusations. "Have you ever seen me hurt a woman?" he asked instead.

"I'd say not remembering someone's name is hurt enough. You don't have to _physically_ abuse someone to hurt them you know."

"Your precious friend, Amy, spent a whole afternoon with me." Ty glanced at Mick, "and for most of that time it was just us," Ty smirked at the way Matt's face colored as he said those two words. "Did she come back hurt in anyway at all?" Ty shook his head as Matt tried to object, "I'm talking about physically of mentally. Was she crying? Did she act hurt?"

Matt was silent. He couldn't object because the truth was, Amy had come back from that day she spent with Ty happier then he'd seen her in years. Instead, Matt settled for glaring coldly at Ty.

"That's what I thought," Ty snickered. "Do you have anything else you'd like to wrongly accuse me of?"

"Yeah," Matt said, surprising even himself because he honestly had no idea what to say. He grappled with his thoughts and burst out the first thing that he found. "You street race!"

Now, Ty couldn't hold in his laughter anymore. He burst out laughing and Matt shifted uncomfortably.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Ty managed to ask once he had controlled his laughter a bit, he was still laughing lightly though. "And what the hell is the big fucking deal? I street race! So _what_? It's… here, let me put it simply for you, FUN!"

"You enjoy smashing up expensive cars?" Matt asked incredulously. He was more or less repeating what Mick had said in the hospital on Wednesday to Tony and that fact did not escape Mick.

"We don't _smash up expensive cars_," Mick mimicked Matt, "sometimes shit like that happens but we don't purposefully do it. Just because you only race like ancient tractors and such in Hicksville doesn't mean we can't do things our way here."

Matt ignored Mick and looked directly at Ty as he spoke next. "So, Ty, tell me, who did you race? And why haven't you told anyone about him… or her?" Matt knew that he had struck a nerve in Ty by saying that, if the way Ty's face darkened was any indication at all. Matt, never one to know exactly when to stop, dug himself in deeper by continuing, "Can't daddy fix all of your problems for you?"

"I do not need my "daddy" to take care of my problems," Ty hissed venomously. "This is my problem, my fight if you will, and I will take care of it on my time and in the way that I deem right. You have no right to follow me and come here and do this. You don't know what the hell you are talking about so get lost. Whenever that stupid wedding of yours is…"

"It's Saturday, you know, next Saturday not today," Matt interrupted Ty.

Ty, not a big fan of being interrupted, turned on Matt slowly, his green eyes blazing and glancing with an intense fire. "What the fuck are you talking about now?"

Matt rolled his eyes. "My brother Scott's and Amy's sister Lou's wedding. It's next week on Saturday at SASSI at noon. I believe you know where SASSI is since…"

"I know where SASSI is you idiot," Ty retorted. "Why the hell would I possibly care about when your precious big brothers' wedding is?" he demanded.

"Well… I just figured that you might want to come…"

"Yeah, you just figured. Well guess what? I don't want to go to the wedding; I couldn't give a wheelbarrow fill of horseshit about it. So if that's all…" Ty hinted at them that they should leave.

But, once again Matt didn't do as Ty wanted. "Amy wants you come," he said pointedly.

"And I could possibly care about your friend…? Why?"

"She likes you."

Ty snickered. "Lots of people like me but you don't see me doing favors for them…" Ty trailed off and paused. A sick grin overcame his face and he shrugged. "At least not favors like _that_…"

"You really _are_ sick," Matt scoffed.

Ty only laughed again. Mick came and stood by Ty's side and the rest of Ty's friends lined up behind him.

Matt noticed them, all of Ty's friends, his _big_ friends. Not big like _that_… well maybe they were big like _that_ but they were all tall and made solely of walls of sinewy muscles that rippled with every move they made. They were all on the football team with Mick and Ty and many of them played on the offensive line and their position was to protect the quarterback, a.k.a. Ty.

"Got your friends to protect you?" Matt asked innocently.

"Jesus, man, you just don't know when to stop, do you?" Mick subtly hinted that Matt and Tom should leave… _now_.

"Fine," Matt threw his hands up in surrender but he smirked at Ty. Matt swore he never smirked more in his life then he had in the past hour or so. "But you should know…"

"What should I know?" Ty sighed. "That I'm a big, bad man?" his friends snickered behind him.

"No," Mick scowled. "Amy, for some unfathomable reason, likes you. Have you seen Amy? Like actually looked at her?" Matt didn't wait for Ty to answer. "She's gorgeous and smart and funny and you'll have a pretty hard time finding someone better then her. She _likes_ you. She won't admit it to us be its as clear as daylight. She's liked Ty Baldwin since before the accident two years ago, she only just realized it after you were gone and we all thought you were dead. But no, she didn't think you were dead! We all told her on a regular basis that you were dead but she wouldn't listen to us. Sure, she'd say "sure, whatever" and go along with us because you being dead was the only thing that was possible, but you could see it in her eyes that she didn't believe it. And then we came here and she found you. And ever since then you've treated her like she was no better then shit... you've treated us all like that."

"That's because _you_," Ty motioned to Matt and Tom, "and your other little friends are no better then shit, as you put it. I have treated Amy better then that and you know it. I do like her but not like that. But hey, give her my number, I'm sure that you have it, you know with being my stalkers and all. She can call me and we can arrange something. You can call me an All You Can Eat Buffet," Ty laughed.

"You're sick," Matt said for possibly the zillionth and twenty-first time that afternoon. "And Amy's not like that, she's not at all like that."

"Well then okay. You're dismissed," Ty tried another method for getting ride of them. Be was beginning to wonder if they responded better to orders.

"We're going," Matt yelled in exasperation.

He composed himself as Ty and Mick and their friends started to laugh at him. Matt blushed a little at their laughter.

"I thought you'd respond better with orders. Though, you do know that you really shouldn't yell at your order giver right?" Ty joked in a not very joking manner.

Matt glared but didn't say anything. "You're missing out on a really great girl, Ty. Amy's just about as good as they come and you're ruining everything. She'll be heartbroken when you don't show up next Saturday. And I can think that even someone like you might have a bit of a heart. You and she used to be so close, you were like best friends. You would never even have dreamt of hurting her and that's all you're doing now."

"Well boo hoo, sorry if I've disappointed all of you," Ty mocked, he was more then through with the conversation. He looked up into the sky and stared at the sun until spot appeared in front of his eyes. As he blinked to clear the blurry spots, he realized that Matt was talking again. Didn't he _ever_ run out of things to say?

Ty turned to Matt, but Matt's face was obscured by Ty's blurry vision. Ty could feel the pills he'd taken that morning taking affect and he suddenly wanted to laugh really hard.

"We're leaving now," Matt announced somberly.

"Thank, _God_," Ty groaned and turned his back on them.

Matt and Tom disappeared into the desert and Ty reclaimed his spot on the rock.

"Think they'll get lost on their way back?" Ty asked giddily.

"Would be nice," Mick agreed.

Ty lay back on the rock and folded his under his head, fashioning a pillow of sorts. The tips of hi chocolate brown hair brushed against the rough surface of the shoulder. Ty laughed suddenly, everyone looked at him.

"Erm, Ty? What's so funny?" Mick asked.

Ty just laughed harder and shook his head. "Save a horse, ride a cowboy…"

**a/n: **reviews are happy things and I want a lot before I update. Random chapter, I know, but I LIKE IT so no teasing it. Ty's so hot… and Mick too… hmm. Oh and there are five chapters or so left. I lied Shawna… actually I didn't really since I just decided to have three more chapters instead of two… but those two are still included… and I've just thoroughly confused myself… oh well. And I don't give a hoot about editing right now so… Review! -Steph


	14. Problems with curfew

**--Authors Note-- **

Finally getting around to finishing this chapter I guess… so, yeah. Here it is. In all of its suck-y glory but here it is anyway.

-Steph

**Disclaimer: **Everything recognizable belongs to Lauren Brooke.

**The Peak**

**Chapter 14**

_Wednesday_

Ty tried to walk down the stairs as quietly as possible. He was doing a good job of it too; after all, stone stairs do not creak like wooden stairs. And, with the added bonus of the stairs being carpeted, not much could go wrong.

He was down at the bottom of the stairs, car keys held firmly in his hand, and started walking down the hallway that would lead him to the front door.

The black Converse All Stars Ty wore made a little slapping noise against the stones.

"Ty? Where are you going?" Brad's voice filtered out of the living room.

"Nowhere," Ty called back instinctively.

"Come in here, Ty," Jane's light voice joined the conversation.

Ty suppressed a groan and was tempted to just be on his way, but he walked into the living room where his mother and father were seated on a leather couch. Brad clicked of the television as Ty stood in the doorway. Brad stood up from the couch and Jane was right behind him.

"Were you going somewhere, Ty?" Brad asked his son again, suspiciously.

Ty's emerald green eyes narrowed as he surveyed his parents.

"Where are you going, Ty?" Jane tried her hand at getting her eldest son to speak.

"Out," Ty responded simply, no emotion present in his voice.

Jane's heart clenched tightly and painfully at the coldness and detachment in Ty's voice. She knew better of course, this was nothing out of the ordinary for Ty. And yet, as glad as she was that Brad had moved them all out to Scottsdale, Arizona those two years ago, she couldn't help but miss the son she had had before; the son that wouldn't scorn anyone, the son with enough patience and dedication in whatever he did to succeed in everything. It was as though Ty had lost his confidence, oh no, it wasn't that at all. The old Ty had confidence too; he just chose to not flaunt it. The old Ty was respectful of his parents and his elders, the old Ty… The old Ty. Ty swore that if he heard someone say something about "The Old Ty" one more time, he would—

"You're not allowed out of the house," Brad said, his gaze focusing on his son. Brad, being the top notch lawyer that he was, had the whole stare down. All he had to do was focus his stare on someone and that someone would get so uncomfortable that they would just start talking. He didn't have to say anything or ask any questions, one look at the stare and you just started spilling things out. It often times worked in the courtroom, Brad would just fix his gaze on opposing counsel and the truth would magically just come out. But this legendary stare of his did nothing to affect his eldest son. His younger son, Lee, it worked with. Ty, it did not. Ty was well on his way to outclassing his own father, master of the stare, in the stare. That wasn't the problem though, Ty wasn't affected by anything. He never showed fear or sorrow or surprise. It was as though he knew all that was happening around him, and everything that would happen, and there was no room left to be surprised. If Ty ever showed any emotion at all around his parents, he kept it hidden very well.

Ty blinked slowly several times, his eyes remained emotionless and hard. You'd expect the emotions to be leaking into his gorgeous eyes, for those two emerald orbs to be dancing with life but no. They were only like emeralds in color, in every other aspect they were just like an old, gray, beat up pebble that could be found in the backyard. Cold, emotionless, hard.

"Sorry?" Ty said simply, as though he had not heard his father the first time.

"I said," Brad began again, "that you cannot go out."

"I have plans," Ty stated as though that fact alone would change his fathers mind.

"I don't care what plans you may have, Ty, you are not leaving this house. Your curfew is at ten and it is past ten," Brad said as he quickly consulted his watch.

Ty's eyes narrowed even further until they were reduced to emerald slits. Curfew; of course he had had one… he just never abided by said curfew time in the past and his parents had given up on enforcing the curfew time within less than a week. But, ever since Ty had been released from the hospital about a week ago, his parents had been strict on his new curfew time, ten o'clock, on the dot. At first, the insanely early time had infuriated Ty, and it still did, but he had not pushed the issue. He had hoped that his parents would forget about it in a few days. No such luck. And on the one night that Ty actually needed to get out of the house.

"I have plans," Ty repeated.

"Not anymore you don't," Brad kept his eyes focused level on his sons face. Ty returned it.

"I have plans, important plans that I cannot break," Ty's voice was hard.

Locks of Ty's silky, dark brown hair fell across his forehead and covered his eyes. The emerald green slits were still painfully present though, they seemed to glare through the curtain of hair.

Jane couldn't help herself. "For God's sake, Ty! You are getting that hair cut tomorrow!" Jane had always been among the very, very, very few to not adore Ty's hair.

Brad held up his hand for silence, Ty closed his mouth with a glare at his father. "Now is not the time for any of this."

"You're right," Ty agreed. "I'm leaving."

Brad stopped Ty before he could leave the room. "You are not going anywhere Ty," he said firmly.

Ty turned around slowly and blinked several times, equally as slow, before speaking again. "Pardon?"

"Now is not the time for your little games, Ty," Brad's rose several notches.

"Where is that you want to go, Ty," Jane rested a hand gently on her husbands forearm and tried her hand at being calm and composed.

"Out," Ty responded simply, not one to fall for his mothers soothing voice.

"And where is "out"?" Jane tried again.

"Out," Ty repeated his previous answer.

Ty attempted to exit once again and once again Brad stopped him before he made it out of the room.

"After your last stunt, you are not aloud out of the house after ten, Ty, and you know that," Brad reminded Ty.

Ty kept his back turned to his parents and rolled his eyes. "I don't have a curfew."

"You do now."

"No, I'm going out. I have things to do," Ty said firmly.

"Well your 'things' are now canceled. You are staying here, in the house, where you can't get into trouble," Jane snapped in a voice sharper then her previous one. Apparently, Ty was starting to bug her too.

"I cannot 'cancel' the things that I have to do," Ty told them both, his back still turned to them.

"You can cancel and you will cancel," Brad said quickly.

Now, Ty turned around and faced his father. "Wasn't it always you that's told me to always keep my word?" Ty smirked at the moment of speechlessness his father endured at his expense. "I plan to keep my word tonight and meet the person that I have made plans with."

"I'm sure that whatever young lady you are meeting tonight will understand if you…" Jane started to say in a voice filled with understanding, thinking that she had figured out what Ty was up too. She stopped as Ty started to laugh. "What's so funny, Ty?"

"I'm not meeting a 'young lady' as you put it," he laughed harder. "Not even an older woman," Ty continued to laugh at the look on his mothers face. "In fact, I'm not even meeting someone of the X chromosome."

"Oh," was all Jane managed to say, a faint blush spreading across her rosy cheeks.

"Yes," Ty agreed with her. "Now, if you'll excuse me…"

"You're not excused," Brad gruffly said, interrupting Ty's exit yet again.

"You know?" Ty asked, his patience now fully gone. "I'm going and there isn't a damn thing that you can do about it."

Jane gasped. "Tyler Baldwin! You do not speak to your parents that way!"

"I just did."

"Now you're just digging yourself in deeper, Ty," Brad jumped in. "Go upstairs and find something to do because you are not leaving this house."

"I'm leaving," Ty said confidently. "And, as I already made clear, there isn't a fucking thing you can do about it."

"If you want to leave than leave," Brad surprised both Jane and Ty by saying.

"I'm leaving," Ty said simply.

"Fine. Just don't come back," Brad said to Ty's retreating form.

Ty stopped and turned back around slowly. "What?"

"You heard me," Brad began, "if you leave this house tonight then don't expect to come back. If you leave then you are out."

Ty's laughter was completely uncalled for but it came regardless. "I'm eighteen, I'm an adult, you can't order me around anymore," he stated.

"Maybe you are an adult but this is my house and while you are living under my roof you abide by my rules," Brad jabbed a finger at his chest.

"Whatever. Don't expect me back tonight," Ty called over his shoulder as he retreated down the darkened hallway once and for all. He knew his parents weren't really kicking him out. First off, his mother would never stick with or enforce that decision. Secondly, how would his father, the prestigious lawyer, look if his son was living on the streets? Not that Ty would resort to that of course, living on the street that is. And then there was the other worry in him mothers mind. How would she look among her high society friends?

No, there was no way that his parents would actually kick him out of the house. _No way_. He'd come back whenever he felt like it and they wouldn't say a word on their discussion from the previous night.

Ty got into his black Ferrari and turned the key in the ignition. He lightly pressed on the gas pedal and swung the car around and out of his houses driveway. Ty slowed the Ferrari down as he drew up alongside Mick's house. Mick's hunter green Corvette's lights turned on and it drew up alongside Ty. Mick had also been given a curfew, that he was clearly breaking, and his Corvette Z06 had been taken away for three months.

"Where are we going?" Ty asked Mick.

Mick looked over at Ty from his Corvette.

"Tony didn't call me," Ty added.

"Oh, right, he called me," Mick began. "We're going to the Four Seasons."

"The Four Seasons?" Ty echoed.

Mick's shoulders shrugged in the darkness. "Yeah, that's where he said to meet him. I don't know why."

"Alright then," Ty said as he put his hand back on the steering wheel, "let's go, shall we? Don't want to keep our good friend waiting."

Mick and Ty sped off into the still and warmth of the warm, spring night in Scottsdale Arizona.

**The Peak**

The front parking lot that was reserved for diners or people wishing to play golf or enjoy the spa or bar was remarkably empty. Of course, that was only due to the time of night. Ty and Mick parked in adjacent parking spots right in the front of the grand hotel. The turned off their respective vehicles and walked through the front doors, side by side.

"Ah, I was starting to think that you boys weren't going to make it," a voice greeted them casually as the entered the lobby.

"I thought that we've already established that it is not us who are the chickens," Ty faced down the man who had addressed him, "Tony."

Tony's smile flitted across his pale yet outstanding facial features. His teeth were just the right shade of white. "You are a fool, Baldwin."

"I may be a fool, but I am a fool who intends to defend his pride," Ty challenged.

"Well then, we have much to discuss." Tony led Ty and Mick over to the corner of the room where Adam, Tony's friend or sidekick or minion, posse, entourage, whatever you chose to call him, was securing a circle of armchairs for them all.

Ty, Mick and Tony all took a seat and faced one another.

"Any particular reason we are at the Four Seasons?" Mick broke the silence by asking.

"Yes, now that you mention it, there is," Tony began, he leant forwards in his chair just the tiniest bit. "First, we are in a public place where there are other people present." Ty glanced around the room and noted that other then an elderly man and woman making their way back to the elevator they were all alone. He chose to not mention that information for the time. "And second," Tony smirked as he looked directly at Ty, "you don't remember? Do you?"

"Remember what?"

Tony smiled brighter. "Why, your little friends are staying here," he said gleefully.

Ty's handsome face twisted with annoyance. Damn those people, they were everywhere. He couldn't go anywhere without constantly being reminded of them. "And that should mean something to me," it was meant to be a question but it came out sounding more like a statement.

"Not particularly," Tony shrugged his leather jacket clad shoulders. "Just thought it would be fun."

"Indeed, fun," Ty said dryly. "And now," Ty sat up straighter, "you really are wasting my time with all this talk of those people, so let's get to business."

"As you wish, Baldwin, as you wish," Tony's voice lowered substantially as he spoke until if was no more then a fierce purr.

**The Peak**

Amy was walking down the hall of the Four Seasons, heading back up to her rooms with a bag of chips and a bottle of soda. She, Matt, Tom, Joni and Soraya were planning on watching a movie, everyone else was out that night. She was just about to cross through the hotels lobby and get on the elevator when something caught her eye. She stopped and focused on it.

In the far corner of the room were four people, men by the looks of them, seated in a circle. They appeared to be deep in conversation.

It was just the voice that made Amy stop in her tracks and back up so that she was hidden behind the grand piano in the corner nearest her. She watched the four men carefully. The one she had her eyes on turned his head ever so slightly but it was all Amy needed to be sure.

Ty Baldwin.

She'd know his face anywhere.

And he was sitting in the lobby of the hotel she was staying out.

Amy's nosey side took over her next actions. She set the soda and chips down on the floor underneath the piano and skittered back along the wall. She exited the lobby the way she had come and ran down the hall, almost crashing into a middle aged couple. She uttered a quick apology to the frazzled adults before continuing on her way.

Right where Ty, Mick, Tony and Adam were seated, there was another doorway. The door was directly across from where Ty was seated in his armchair. Amy stood on the side of the doorway, as close as she dared and pressed up against the wall. Desperate to hear what was going on.

Amy chanced a peek around the doorframe and was relieved to see the no one was even looking in her direction. Now, Amy could pick out Ty and Mick, a man she didn't recognize and another man. She knew she had seen him before.

"It really took some nerve for you to show up at the hospital and speak to Ty's parents that way," Mick said to one of the unknown men in a cold voice.

_Of course_, Amy realized, _the man from the hospital, Tony._

Tony laughed at Mick's comment. "I'd say that it was you who was out of line, Laurence."

"I my parents only knew the truth about you," Ty cut in before Mick could say respond to Tony's latest comment. Ty's voice was calm and self assured, the edges marred with a tint of disgust.

"It's my word over yours," Tony said.

"That only makes it all the more sick," Mick spat. "Our own parents don't believe us."

"You've established that reputation for yourselves so don't complain about it to me," Tony said in a bored manner.

"I get the feeling that I'm wasting my time here," Ty cut in between the squabbling pair. "If we are only discussing my parents then I'm out."

"We are getting to it, Baldwin," Tony snapped irritably. "Your parents, and Laurence's here for that matter, play a big part in this."

"I don't give a shit about some stupid ass adults."

Amy stifled a gasp at the way Ty spoke of his parents. Two years ago, he had shown nothing but respect for his mother and father. Once again, Amy got the feeling that she didn't know Ty at all anymore.

"Moving on to the business," Ty requested.

"I was getting to it, Baldwin," Tony repeated. "Are you anxious to be out of a car?"

"I haven't lost anything," Ty leaned forwards a bit, his emerald eyes blazed with a roaring fire. "The race was not completed and therefore you, or I for that matter, have won nothing."

"I won that race, Baldwin," Tony argued heatedly. "You and Laurence didn't walk away. I won, fair and square."

"You won nothing," Ty said again. "You smashed me into the boulders," Amy's eyes widened, "but, if you want the Vanquish then be my guest, all you have to do is find the twisted clump of metal first."

Tony glared at Ty. "You know the rules, Baldwin—"

"You're right, I do know the rules," Ty agreed with Tony, a smug look adjourned Tony's features. "And our rules said that the race would be finished and the winner would receive the purse, no questions asked. However, the race was not finished and therefore you have won nothing. We are exactly where we started."

"Are you challenging me to another race?" Tony asked, his voice stunned with disbelief. He had thought that he had put Ty out of it once and for all.

"I am," Ty answered confidently.

Amy gasped and pressed her back against the wall. She took several deep breaths to calm down. Did Ty have a death wish? He had almost died the last time and now he was willingly challenging the person who had come so close to being his murdered in the game that had almost claimed his life.

"You're messed up, Baldwin," was all Tony could say.

"I may be," Ty responded smoothly. "But, you swore a make up race after I killed you the first time and you will get a make up race. And this time, I will finish the race."

"I could kill you," Tony's voice was dangerously low. His eyes locked with Ty's Mick and Adam wisely stayed out of the conversation and just observed.

"You could," Ty agreed, "and I could do the same to you," he reasoned.

Tony stood his ground, refusing to let Ty intimidate him. "Fine. You want a re-race? Then you will, by all means, get a re-race. Saturday night at—"

"No," Ty shook his head.

"Chickening out now, Baldwin?" Tony jumped to the very wrong conclusion.

"No," Ty repeated. "You named the time and place the last time, it's my turn now."

"Fine," Tony folded his hands in his lad and leaned back in his chair. "Name your terms."

Ty's eyes remained focused on Tony as he spoke his neck words. "We go tonight."

Tony sat straighter. "Tonight?"

"Yes."

"Are you mental? You don't even have a car!" he laughed brightly.

"I have my Ferrari," Tony eyed Ty greedily, "not the Enzo but it's a Ferrari still. Mick has his Vet. The question is, do you have a suitable car?"

"I have my car," was all Tony said.

"Very well then," Ty nodded, "we go tonight, in one hour at Hang Mans (a/n: sorry, I can't remember. I think that this is a real street in AZ. Anyhow, if it isn't, it is taking the place of a street that exists). We race to the Peak and back."

Tony laughed. "Come on, Baldwin! Is that the best you can do? Hang Mans!" he said the name with pure scorn, "Really! That's a baby's course."

"Fine then," a wicked smile lifted the corners of Ty's lips, "you want something more difficult? By all means, I'll give you something more difficult."

Tony shifted his weight in his chair eagerly. "Name it."

Ty only paused for half a second before he said, "Kalinichenko." (a/n: I'm stumped for a name so I am borrowing the last name from a Ukraine soccer player. He's really hot too…)

"Fine."

"We go at midnight, on the dot."

"Perfect." Tony grinned cockily.

"Don't get to too cocky," Ty warned him in a low voice. "You may have caught me off guard last time but don't expect to do the same tonight."

"I do not make a habit of underestimating my opponents, Mr. Baldwin, they, on the other hand, seem to make a habit of underestimating me."

"Well then I assure you that I will not make that mistake tonight."

Ty and Tony stood up and face each other. Mick stood and stood at Ty's side while Adam stood at Tony's side.

Tony held out his hand. "Think before you shake, Baldwin," Tony advised Ty. "Once you shake on it there is no turning back. You either race or I win and get the cars."

"I know. I have thought and this is it. This is the end of it. Tonight we end it all and see who the better driver is."

"The better driver," Tony echoed.

Amy watched in a mixture of horror and fascination and Ty reached out his right hand to clasp Tony's firmly. They shook on it, pumping each others hand up and down five times. Their eyes remained glues on the others, they gripped the others hand.

Amy was so absorbed in what was happening that she didn't even notice Ty spot her until his emerald eyes were meeting her gray ones. They only met for the shortest of moments before Ty looked back to Tony.

"May the better driver win."

**a/n: **I told you it sucked. Sorry for the bad ending but I really want to get this up before I go away and… hey, I have to get up in like six hours to go to the airport. I don't know when I'll update again; I'll be in AZ (so fitting with this story) until July 16th. Please excuse the mistakes that I know are here. And I know what you're all probably thinking after this chapter but let me just say, Ty will just get worse before he gets any better. Review! -Steph


	15. The Start

**-- Authors Note --**

This chapter is dedicated to El (Aphrodite818) because she said that Maksym Kalinichenko (my future husband) is hot. If you looked at the one picture that was on my profile page and thought he was (-- cringes --) ugly, I put more pictures on just for you. I guarantee that you will think he's hot after these pictures. They've caused even the one person I thought was completely devoted to calling him ugly (yes, you, Gracie!) to call him "SLIGHTLY hot," give or take a few comments including botox and Angelina Jolie BUT a hot is a hot and said comments are not important.

-Steph

**Note: **it has been made aware to me that I accidentally made the hotel The Four Seasons. It should be The Scottsdale Princess, which is where Amy is staying. Sorry for the confusion. And the name of the road that I called "Kalinichenko" was not meant to make it into the story, I forgot to go back and change it. So, keeping the "theme" of the previous roads I've mentioned the road they will be racing on is called, "Bloody Basin," I'm pretty sure that this is a real road in AZ.

**Disclaimer: **Based loosely off of material that has been created and is owned by Lauren Brooke.

**The Peak**

**Chapter 15— The Start**

Ty stood with Mick at his side and they watched Tony and Adam depart The Scottsdale Princess. Once the two other men were well outside the doors Ty spoke, with his back still turned to the doorway, "You can come out now."

Amy froze. _I'm invisible. I'm invisible. I'm invisible. He doesn't know I'm here. I'm invisible. I'm invisib… _Amy gulped as Ty slowly turned around and faced her. There was no emotion on his handsome face so Amy had no way of knowing how he felt. She prayed that he wasn't angry, she'd seen him angry and she really did not want that intense anger directed at her.

"What are you doing here?" Ty asked in a voice that could be classified as calm. It was his calm. His voice was steady and emotionless. His emerald eyes were devoid of any emotion as they rest level on Amy's face. "You don't have to hide behind the wall, I know you're there."

Amy shifted slightly so that she was more in the doorway. Her hands rested on the wood frame for security. She didn't say anything.

"What are you doing here?" Ty repeated his previous question, his voice a bit harder then last time.

"I… uh, I… I'm staying here with my uh, family," Amy stuttered her reply.

"Yes, I know that," Ty said, his annoyance beginning to creep into his voice. "I mean, why are you here? Right now?"

"I was getting chips and soda," Amy answered Ty honestly.

"I don't see and chips and soda."

"I put them down over… somewhere," Amy gestures meekly with her arms in the vague direction of the grand piano that sat in the corner.

Ty gazed at her thoughtfully. "Uh huh, and why were you listening in on a private conversation? I assume you heard it all, didn't you?"

"Yeah," Amy answered sheepishly.

"Why were you listening?" Ty repeated his previous question, his voice a little harsher.

"I just… I just, uh, saw you sitting there and… was just passing by the door and I…"

"Nice try, but no," Ty cut Amy's weak explanation short. "If you had been passing by the door then how would the food and drink you had been carrying end up all the way over there," Ty pointed in the general direction of the far side of the room.

Amy was silent. She knew she'd been caught in her bad lie and she didn't know what else to say.

"Isn't that right?" Ty's eyes narrowed as he spoke.

"Yes," Amy mumbled.

"Good, so now that we're on the same page, I have an appointment that I really cannot be late for, if you'll excuse," without waiting for her response, Ty turned his back on Amy and prepared to walked across the lobby and to the front door.

"Wait," Amy called after Ty and Mick. They stopped and turned back to face her, Ty's eye burned through her and Amy gulped. She stepped away from the door frame and took several small steps towards them.

"Yes?" Ty asked impatiently, not so discreetly checking his watched.

"You can't do it," Amy finally blurted out.

"Excuse me?" Ty said even though he knew perfectly well what Amy was referring to.

"You can't go and do that race. You could have died the last time and if you and Mick were really serious about what happened that day then how do you know he, Tony, won't try something again?" Amy finished in a rush.

"I don't," Ty said simply with a shrug.

"Then why do it?" Amy demanded. "Why risk your life in a pointless street race when you cou…"

"Pointless?" Ty echoed in shock, his eyes grew hard. "How can you say that it's pointless? You don't know anything. Do you know what is at stake tonight? Do you have any idea what I'm racing for?"

Amy frowned. "Yeah, I heard. Your cars."

"Fuck the God damned cars!" Ty said harshly. "Do you think I give a damn about my car? I can just buy another one if need be. It's just a car. No, what we're racing for is something bigger, something that is more important to me then having a shinny Lamborghini."

"Well then wh—"

"My pride. My pride and my dignity. Whatever can be salvaged from it at this point I'll take. You have no idea, _no idea_, what you people have done to me; in the three weeks you've been here my whole life has turned upside down. Nothing is the same as it used to be. I was serious when I said I was better off not knowing anything that happened outside of the past two years. Those are the only years that matter now. Actually, tonight is the only night that will matter in the long run. I've lost more then my fathers car since you've gotten here and tonight I intend to earn at least a little of that back."

Amy was silent for a moment. "Fine. Then I'll come with you."

"Excuse me?" it was Ty's turn to be surprised. He had anticipated her trying to stop him but never did he see that question coming.

"You heard me," Amy said, "let me come with you," she repeated.

Ty took a step closer to her but Amy stood her ground and returned his gaze. Mick shifted uncomfortably, glancing between the two. He prepared himself to jump in and intervene if the situation called for it.

"Why would you want to do something like that?"

"No matter what you believe, you were my best friend two years ago. I almost, or I did loose you once when I could have stopped that accident from ever happening. I don't intend to make that mistake again. Do you really expect me to go back up to my room knowing full well what you are about to do? Especially after I know what happened the last time. Once my sister's wedding is over and I go back to Virginia I probably won't ever see you again. I'll accept that fact but I'm not about to let you do something stupid and get yourself killed while I am here," Amy took a deep breath and kept her eyes focused on Ty's face to gauge his reaction from her little speech.

"That _is_ stupid," Ty scoffed. Amy's face dropped a bit at Ty's harsh words.

"Do you know how long I blamed myself for what happened to you in that tornado two years ago? I've never stopped blaming myself. I could have stopped you. I heard the beams creak, we both did. I could have told you to get away from Dylan. He was jumpy. We would leave him to settle down a bit; the emergency trucks would have been there soon anyway. But no, I didn't stop you and all of this happened. If I had known what was going to happen, I would have sooner sacrificed the whole barn full of horses just to keep you there. To keep you safe." There was silence as Amy finished her passionate thoughts. She took a shaky breath as she realized that she had just voiced the thoughts that had stuck with her for the past two years. No one else knew everything she had just said.

"I would have been okay if I had only known where you were. Just as long as I knew you were alive it would have been better," Amy finished in a small voice.

She kept her eyes focused on the floor and furiously blinked back the tears that filled her gray eyes and threatened to spill over. She would not let Ty see her crying.

Ty did not say anything in response to Amy's words and Amy looked up with a deep, calming breath. Her eyes widened in shock when all she saw was Ty and Mick's retreating backs. She stared after them in shock; deep down, Amy had a horrible gut feeling that if Ty walked through those doors she would never see him again.

Ty turned back around just as he reached the doors. He looked at Amy and cocked one eyebrow in his trademark way, accompanying it with his trademark grin. "Aren't you coming?" he called back over to her. "I have forty-five minutes to make a forty minute drive!"

Amy looked over her shoulder guilty. She was supposed to watch movies with her friends. She looked forward again and was swept away by Ty's smile, the closest thing she had seen to a genuine smile from him. Her heart fluttered. Without a second thought to how her family and friends might worry when she didn't return to the rooms and couldn't find her in the hotel, Amy ran to Ty's side and they exited the building side by side. Mick walked just behind them, his lips lifted at the corners into a half smile.

Amy got into the passenger side of Ty's car after a moment of hesitation. Ty got into the driver's seat and Mick got into his Corvette. The drive to Bloody Basin, the road Amy had heard Ty choose for the location, was about forty minute drive from the hotel, just as Ty had said. Ty didn't say anything throughout the drive and drove surprisingly within the speed limit. Amy wondered if he could possibly be nervous, the Ty she had known the past few weeks hardly seemed like the person that would show his nerves or fears. But, from all the things that Ty had claimed so passionately were at stake for this race he had a right to be nervous. Amy remained silent, being respectful of Ty's silence and silently acknowledging the fact that maybe he just wanted his own thoughts for company right then. He had, after all, let her come along with him, which in itself was something noteworthy.

Once they exited the limits of the town, it got so dark that Amy could hardly see where they were going. Thank God for the bright headlights on both Ty and Mick's cars. They had really, truly entered the desert. There were no houses lining the roads, or strip malls on every corner. There were no lights from passing cars. The lights of Scottsdale twinkled far behind them in the distance.

Amy didn't even see the small side road as Ty turned and for a split moment she thought they were driving right into the desert. The road ahead was soon illuminated by the headlights though.

Ty slowed the Ferrari (a/n: not the Enzo) to a stop. He got out of the car and Amy followed him slowly, wary about being out in the middle of nowhere in the intense darkness. A full moon shone bright over head and the black sky was dotted with stars.

Ty left the Ferrari running and the headlights illuminated a circular spot of land in front of the Ferrari. Tony was already there, leaning against his Lamborghini and staring into the dark night like it was nothing new. The darkness and the location did nothing to faze him. Adam was there too, he was shifting his wait from foot to foot, his hands clasped behind his back and he stared up into the sky. As the two new cars pulled up, Adam looked towards them and quickly lifted a hand to shield his eyes from the bright lights of the headlights. Tony did not even glance in their direction.

"You just made it," Tony's strangely angelic voice cut through the still night air. He finally turned to face Ty and Mick. Amy stood slightly behind Ty and was momentarily blocked from view.

"I wouldn't have missed it," Ty said in a strong, cold voice.

"I'm sure…" Tony mussed. The pushed himself off of the Lamborghini and stepped towards Ty and Mick. His hands rested loosely in the pockets of his designer jeans and his expensive shoes made the slightest noise against the pavement. "Your cars aren't terribly impressive," he remarked as he eyed the Ferrari and the Corvette.

"Scared, Tony?" Ty's voice was filled with humor at some private joke.

"Of course not, Baldwin. I was merely concerned for how you will perform on this race."

Tony walked forwards some more and circled Ty. He finally caught site of Amy as she moved to stand closer to Ty. "Ah, what do we have here?" he crooned as he eyed Amy up and down. "Decided to bring your little girlfriend along, did you?"

"She's not my girlfriend," Ty said through gritted teeth.

"Perhaps," Tony said thoughtfully, stroking his chin. He looked back up at Ty. "I was not aware we could bring along… _personal friends_. Otherwise, I would have found a pretty lady to sit by my side."

"I said nothing in the rules about it being not allowed," Ty said.

"So you didn't… so you didn't," Tony said thoughtfully. He tapped a long, slim finger against his lips as he watched Amy. Amy shifted uncomfortably under his scrutinizing and _hungry_ gaze. "What's say," he began, "we add her to the prize tonight."

Ty finally turned to face Tony. His emerald eyes were livid and blazing. He reached out and his arm fastened tightly around Amy's slim waist. He pulled her closer to him. "She's not part of it. The _price_ has been agreed upon, she stays out of it."

"You know, Baldwin, for someone who's not her boyfriend you sure are protective of her." Ty glared harder at Tony but did not say anything. "Fine, shall we get started then?"

"That would be a good idea," Ty forced the words out of his mouth, still trying to get his anger at Tony towards his comments to Amy in check.

Tony nodded thoughtfully and started to walk back towards his car. He shot one last look towards Amy. Ty caught it and it almost sent him over the edge. He gripped Amy's waist tighter to keep himself from doing something stupid.

"You know, Baldwin, when I see something I like I get it. I've seen something I like tonight and mark my words, I will get _it_."

"This is between you and me, Tony," Ty growled. "Leave her out of it."

"She's out of it… for now."

"I swear, Tony, if you even touch her—"

"You're sure you're not with her?" Tony asked. "You're mighty protective of her and even the tiniest; the simplest comment directed towards her sets you off." Tony laughed.

"Fuck you," Ty hissed.

"Resorting to petty school boy insults now, Baldwin?" Tony laughed louder. "Are my words really affecting you that much?" Ty opened his mouth to fire off the insults that he knew were to come. "Ah, ah, ah, Baldwin," Tony tutted, "we have a lady in our presence, you wouldn't want to say anything… _vulgar_ that might offend her."

Ty turned his back on Tony and dragged Amy back to his Ferrari and Mick's Corvette.

"I knew you shouldn't have come," he hissed to no one but himself. He turned to Amy. "I knew you shouldn't have come. This was a mistake," he repeated, "you'd have been much better off at your hotel with your friends."

Amy remained silent.

"Ty…?" Mick said his friends name hesitantly.

Ty turned to Mick. "What?" he snapped.

Mick jerked his head in Tony's direction. Tony was once against leaning against the shinning yellow door of his Lamborghini but this time his eyes were focused on Amy. Ty shifted his body so that he blocked Amy from Tony's view. Tony's chuckle flitted through the air.

"Don't let him get to you, man," Mick said to Ty. "Come on, you've never let him or anyone have this kind of affect on you."

"That was before," Ty muttered so low that Amy wasn't even sure she had heard right. He looked up and looked at Amy's face. "You stay here," he spoke up and Amy didn't even attempt to argue with him. Ty looked towards Mick and back to Amy. "You stay with Mick, right by his Vet. Mick, you watch her; don't let her go anywhere or anything happen to her. I have no intent on this happening but if Tony does arrive back first you take her and get in the Vet and leave as fast as you can. Don't stick around to see what happened to me, I'll be fine." Ty looked around into the dark desert and glanced towards the mountains. "I don't like this," he muttered softly. He looked back at Mick, "Go, get to the Vet," he ordered.

Mick stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets and nodded his head. "Good luck, Ty," he said to his best friend sincerely. "Drive safely, if Tony starts trying anything funny then pull back. You'll win," Mick flashed his famous grin, "I'm sure of it."

"Thanks."

Mick turned his back on Ty and Amy and walked swiftly to his Corvette.

Ty turned to Amy, not even surprised that she was still standing next to him, then he realized that he still held her waist in a death grin. He unlocked his grip on her and let his arms fall away from her sides. He was about to tell Amy to go with Mick when she surprised him once again.

Amy stood on her tiptoes and place one hand on each of Ty's cheeks, cupping his face. She hesitated but a small moment before she quickly pressed her lips to his. She broke away before Ty was even able to process what had just happened.

"Good luck," she whispered in a very small voice. She crossed her arms across her chest and hurried after Mick. Mick gestured to her to get in the passenger side and grinned at her back as she slipped into the car.

Ty got into his Ferrari without another word to anyone. He'd felt something funny when Amy had kissed him but he pushed it away and let it be replaced with thoughts of the pending race.

He started the Ferrari's engine and, as always, the rumble of power beneath his seat comforted him. He pressed expertly down on the gas pedal and the Ferrari began to roll forwards like a ghost in the night. Ty stopped once he was level with Tony. As Tony got into his Lamborghini, Ty pushed the button to raise the top on his Ferrari. Once the top was covered, Ty felt secure in the small space.

The rumble of the Lamborghini's engine joined in with that of the Ferrari's as Tony inched the expensive sports car forwards. Ty did the same until they both stopped, even with one another.

Ty rolled down his window and yelled to be heard over the roar of both engines. "We race to the end of road and back. The first one back wins, no questions asked."

Tony nodded and turned his head back to the road. Ty rolled up his window. He turned back to the road before him and his hands rest lightly and loosely upon the leather bound steering wheel. His foot was poised expertly above the gas pedal.

Adam came to stand in the middle of the two cars that were raring to go.

He raised his arms and waited for three seconds before letting them drop as he yelled a single word, "GO!"

Amy sat on the edge of her seat in the Corvette, he hands clamped together and her breath caught in her throat as she watched the two cars flew into the night, the rear lights getting smaller and dimmer and farther away with every passing second.

**a/n: **short, I know, but I have to go to my algebra class and it wouldn't work for some reason last night. This is more of a two part chapter. Hope you liked it! It was definitely better then the last chapter. Now stop begging for Amy and Ty stuff! Review! -Steph


	16. Ease the Tension

**-- Authors Note --**

Here I am, updating one last time before I go to camp because I have been… oddly threatened by Shawna and her Human Eating Frog. You don't even want to know. Anyways, this chapter kind of starts to bring everything to a close, though there are a few chapters left. The first part is serious (as serious as it can be with Mick) but it quickly lightens up when Mick… oh, you'll see. I hope you enjoy this chapter; it is definitely one of the more fun ones I've written. Review!

-Steph

**Disclaimer: **Lauren Brooke owns her characters but I own the story and the plot. This story is not available for reproduction and any copying will not be appreciated. The song belongs to AFI and don't worry if you can't find a connection between it and the story, I just love that song.

**The Peak**

**Chapter 16 – Ease the Tension **

Amy and Mick sat in the hunter green Corvette. A breeze blew through the open top and ruffled Amy's hair. She quickly pushed her hair back and kept her eyes glued ahead of her to where the taillights of the two sports car were still visible. She sat on the edge of the leather car seat and clasped her hands together tightly in her lap.

The sound of the two engines eventually died down and the headlights disappeared into the distance, becoming no more then specks of fast fading light in the darkness.

Mick glanced over at Amy briefly and noticed her pained expression.

"Hey," Mick said casually.

"Yeah?" Amy replied, not taking her eyes away from the road.

"Do I get a kiss too?" Mick asked innocently.

Amy turned to face him, shock spread across her face. "What?" she said slowly, unsure where Mick's comment had come from.

"I was just joking," Mick said with a grin. "Just trying to, you know, ease the tension and all."

"Oh."

"So," Mick continued after a moment, "do I get a kiss?"

"No," Amy said without taking her eyes from the road.

Mick shrugged. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. Amy continued staring blankly out of the windshield.

They won't be back for a good ten, fifteen minutes," Mick told her.

Amy looked across the car to Mick. Mick returned her gaze. "Don't you care about your friend at all?" she snapped her mouth shut, the words had just slipped out.

"He's my best friend," Mick said slowly, determined to keep his temper in check around the girl that his best friend was so obviously in denial about liking. "Want to listen to some music?" he attempted to change the topic by saying. Mick clicked on the radio and AFI's Love Like Winter filtered through the speakers and into the open air car. Adam glanced over from his Mustang upon hearing the music but quickly looked away again.

Mick drummed his fingers against the leather bound steering wheel to the beat of the music. He bobbed his head and his blonde hair flopped across his eyes in a most irresistible way.

Amy watched him in astonishment and he sang along to the song. She just couldn't wrap her head around how Mick was acting so carefree and happy when his best friend off doing something stupid that involved narrow and turn filled roads and incredibly high speeds.

_Warn your warmth to turn away.  
Here it's December every day.  
Press your lips to the sculptures  
and surely you'll stay (Love like winter)  
for of sugar and ice, I am made, I am made. _

As the music started and Davey's voice filtered out of the speakers and filled the car with its calming power even Amy relaxed. There was just something about music that she found comforting and warm. Whenever she was sad she listened to music. __

It's in the blood, it's in the blood.  
I met my love before I was born.  
He wanted love. I taste of blood.  
He bit my lip and drank my war   
from years before, from years before.

Mick was getting into the song. He shifted his upper body in his seat as he sang along with Davey.__

She exhales vanilla lace.  
I barely dreamt her yesterday, yesterday.  
Read the lines in the mirror  
through the lipstick trace "Por Siempre".  
She said, "it seems you're somewhere far away" to his face. 

Mick wailed "Por Siempre" at the top of his lungs. Adam looked at Mick as though he were insane. Mick threw his arms in the air and waved them around. Further proving Adam's thoughts. __

It's in the blood, it's in the blood.  
I met my love before I was born.   
She wanted love. I taste of blood,  
She bit my lip and drank my war  
from years before, from years before. 

"Come on!" Mick grinned at Amy. "Sing along, it's fun!" Amy looked at him as though he were exactly what Adam was becoming more and more convinced of with every second that passed. He was insane. Nevertheless, Amy sang softly along with the lyrics. __

Love like winter, oh, oh...  
Love like winter, winter... 3,4

It's in the blood, it's in the blood.  
I met my love before I was born.   
He wanted love. I taste of blood.  
He bit my lip and drank my war  
from years before, from years before.

Once the song was over, Amy smiled. She felt a bit better. But she was gripped with cold, hard fear as she looked back to the road.

"Turn the damn music down!" Adam hollered over to Mick when Mick cranked up the volume some more. "Someone's going to fucking here and we're going to get busted by the cops!"

Mick turned the volume down a ways. It was no more then a whisper in the background now.

"I was starting to wonder if you knew how to talk," Mick called back to Adam.

Adam's face visibly darkened in the dark night at Mick's insult. "Fuck you."

"Touché," Mick laughed.

Adam turned away from Mick, Amy and the Corvette in disgust. He looked out into the distant mountains and seemed lost in thought.

"I hope you know that he thinks you're insane," Amy said, trying hard to keep her voice quiet so that Adam wouldn't hear her comment.

"I know," Mick said lightly. "Maybe he's right," he mussed, "I think that all of us are a little bit insane deep down. Some of just choose to use that to our advantage." He flashed Amy the grin that sent girls swooning. It affected Amy none though. Now, if that grin had come from someone else…

"You seem very… happy," Amy said suddenly, surprising Mick slightly.

"Do I have a reason not to be?" Mick asked bluntly, clearly not seeing what the problem was.

"Well," Amy began, a little annoyed at Mick's behavior, "your best friend is doing something incredibly stupid with someone that will clearly go through all measures to win who has just so happened to have already attempted to kill him. I'd say that that is plenty of reason not to be happy."

Mick shifted in his seat that he could look at Amy as he spoke to her. "Trust me, there is absolutely nothing to worry about. I know Ty better then anyone," Amy started to object but Mick stopped her with a raised hand. "I know you disagree but you haven't known his these past two years, I have. I've been his friend since day one, well since he was out of the hospital at least, and if there is one thing that I know about Ty, it is that he never looses something twice."

"You're very confident on the statement," Amy murmured.

"I have good reason to be," Mick didn't elaborate any farther. "You could do with some confidence at the moment."

"Yeah," Amy agreed softly as she stared out of the windshield once again.

"Okay, I get it," Mick said suddenly. "But, I solemnly swear on the Laurence family name that Ty will come back alive and in the lead," he said with a hand on his heart. "Feel better now?" he asked with a grin.

"Oh, loads," Amy replied sarcastically.

"I knew it," Mick grinned.

"So, there's not even a tiny part of you that doubts that Ty will be okay and win?" Amy ventured.

"Exactly," Mick answered her question simply. "See if I'm wrong. You can have my car if I'm wrong," Mick offered. Amy eyed him doubtfully. "That shows you how confident I am," Mick continued, "I don't bet my car on just anything or anyone."

"Don't you loose your car if Ty looses?" Amy asked.

Mick cringed. "Please stop saying 'if Ty looses'. He's not going to loose. But, yes, that was the deal coming into all of this. Just another reason why Ty can't loose, I love my car and he knows it." Mick patted the steering wheel affectionately. "Isn't that right, babe," he seemingly spoke to his Corvette.

"Something like car racing is really a fifty-fifty shot for the drivers. There's so much that can go wrong during it, the best driver can be taken out," Amy said, Mick looked at her. "How can you be so confident on such a gamble?" she wondered aloud.

"I have my reasons," Mick said simply, "I don't know if Ty would appreciate my telling you some so I won't. But, I know first hand how good of a driver Ty is. He's beaten everyone that's challenged him."

Amy paled. "This isn't the first time you've done this kind of thing?"

Mick laughed at the sheer idiocy in Amy's question. "Of course not. Ty's beaten the best of them, including Tony. It was Tony that challenged Ty to the rematch. Ty, being that gallant guy he is, accepted."

Well that made it a bit better, if Ty had beaten Tony before then Amy had a bit more confidence. "Are the stakes the same every time? Winner gets thee cars I mean?"

"Yeah," Mick said, happy that they were talking about something other then Ty's impending fate for a while. "Winner takes the car of the loosing driver and of whoever is that drivers second. I'm Ty's second and Adam is Tony's second. Our cars are up in it to."

"Oh," Amy said. "Well then if you guys have always won then shouldn't you have a ton of cars? Why does the one you have matter?" Amy was truly curious now.

Mick looked appalled. "First and foremost, this," he patted the steering wheel of the Vet, "is not a racing car. This is my car, the one I drive everyday. This car is my favorite, you form attractions to cars, you know," he told her. "But, to answer your question, we can't relay on mommy and daddy's money forever."

"You mean you sell them?"

"Well, yes, basically," Mick said. "They are first offered back to their original owners with a price on the hood, take it or leave it. There is no gambling around with the price. If the original owner won't take it back, we take it to a dealership where we know some people who will give us the asking price. That is just the way of street racing, that's how it's always been, no one questions it. We can keep them all though, can we? I think our parents would start to get suspicious when the garage started filling up with flashy cars."

"Oh. So it's basically cars and money that govern street racing?" Amy asked.

Mick thought about her question before replying. "Yes and no," he began. "Usually that is all it is but, as you heard Ty before, this race is more important to him them winning cars and money. Ty might not have technically lost the last race but that is the way that he sees it. he doesn't loose and if he doesn't win then he sees that as loosing. This race is important to him for so many reasons. We'll just have to wait and see what happens," Mick admitted, dropping his confident demeanor for the first time. "I don't want to think about what he'll do if he looses," Mick said softly, fiddling his fingers against the steering wheel.

Mick and Amy lapsed into silence after Mick's last comment. The music that was still drifting lightly and loosely from the stereos was the only noise in the dead quiet of the night. Adam stood silently and motionlessly by the side of his Mustang GT. His eyes were fixed on the road in front of him, much as Amy's were. Even Mick watched the road with and anxious expression, he knew the time was near for everything to be decided.

Mick leaned forward as he caught sight of headlights in the distance. The sound of a cars engine soon followed the sighting of the lights. "Here they come now," Mick said to Amy. "Put on your seatbelt," he ordered her. "Go on, do it!" he barked when Amy didn't move to follow his orders. "You heard Ty, if it's not him then we leave. I plan to follow his wishes." Mick pulled his seatbelt across his shoulder and clipped it in the lock by his waist. Amy mutely followed his example and clipped on her own seatbelt.

Another set of headlights appeared, right behind the first.

Amy gulped.

There was definitely a leader. She just prayed with ever fiber in her being that it was Ty.

"It's Ty," Mick said suddenly, his eyes fixed on the headlights that were growing larger and coming closer with even the smallest part of a second.

"What?" Amy breathed, hardly daring to let his words mean what she hoped they did.

"It's Ty, he's in the lead," Mick burst out with a grin. Adam scowled.

"How can you tell?" Amy asked. She squinted towards the distant shapes of the cars but could not tell one from the other.

"The Ferrari has a shape that is recognizable, I can tell from its headlights," Mick said. Amy looked again but could not, for the life of her, see any difference between the two sets of headlights. Mick noticed her confused expression and quickly said, "Just trust me. Ty's in the lead, that's all the matters."

"Alright," Amy said, choosing to believe a guy she hardly knew. Funny the people one would believe when they wanted to hear something bad enough.

The two cars rushed closer to their makeshift finish line. Amy could now see that it really was Ty's black Ferrari that was in the lead! A whole car length in front of Tony and his yellow Lamborghini. Tony was trying furiously to pass Ty but Ty kept blocking Tony's path. Tony banged a fist on his steering wheel in frustration. Ty smirked. He wasn't going to loose, there was no way he was loosing now.

Mick unbuckled his seatbelt and stood up on his seat, no regard for the creamy white leather seats of the Corvette. Ty's instructions completely fled his mind as he cheered his friend on.

Amy, too, unbuckled her seatbelt and pulled herself up. She hung over the top of the windshield. The car bounced around and Mick jumped on the seat. Amy vaguely felt her cell phone vibrate in her pocket but she paid it no heed. Whoever it was would just have to wait.

Tony made one last, furious attempt to surpass Ty and the Ferrari but it was no use. His efforts were in vain, they were too close to the end then. The two cars flew over the finish line, Ty's car clearly in the lead. Adam kicked the side of his Mustang forcefully. The Ferrari and the Lamborghini screeched to a stop before they crashed into the Corvette. Mick and Amy flew out of the car. Ty jumped out of his car but left the engine running. Tony sat motionless behind the wheel of the Lamborghini. He was stunned, shocked. He'd never lost race… besides the one against Ty.

Mick pounded Ty on the back. Both friends grinned widely as the celebrated what would be their biggest most important win as a team.

Amy stood a bit away from them, unsure exactly what she was supposed to do. Ty looked around and caught her eye. His emerald eyes sparkled with joy and happiness and life, she'd never seen him so happy. Ty grinned and Amy smiled back. She finally approached Ty and all but threw herself at him. She clung to him, her arms around his neck; her feet didn't even touch the ground. Ty's arms wrapped around her and he laughed into her hair. Ty spun her around in his excitement. Mick watched them with a knowing look.

Ty set Amy back down on her feet they stared at each other.

"You fucking, cheating bastard!" Tony roared in outrage as he sprung from the driver's seat of the Lamborghini, forcefully throwing the door up without a regard for its cost.

Ty looked away from Amy and let go of her waist. "I did not cheat, Tony," Ty said in a deadly voice.

"You blocked me!" Tony exclaimed.

"So?" Ty said. "What's the point? It's a legal move. Its not like I… say, rammed you into a bunch of boulders," Ty's eyes glinted venomously.

"I call a re-race," Tony blurted out.

Ty shook his head, his brown hair falling across his forehead, almost blocking his eyes but not quite. "No way, Tony. This was your re-race. You're not getting another out of me. I've beaten you twice, fair and square. I've won, that's all there is to it."

Tony glared at Ty but he knew he was right. "You're a fucking lucky bastard, Baldwin," he said in his normal voice.

"Luck is something you have to have to succeed in this," Ty said.

Mick seemed to sense that there was going to be resistance and back into his Corvette. He gently rolled it forwards.

Tony glared. "Fine, Baldwin. You win." Tony turned to face Adam, "Keys, Adam," he ordered his second.

Adam glared at Tony and refused to make a move to hand over the keys.

"Keys, Adam," Tony repeated irritably.

Adam was about to reply but swore instead. Mick's car swept cleanly over the place where Adam had been standing not five seconds ago. Adam jumped out of the way to avoid the car.

"Jesus Christ!" Adam hollered at Mick. "What they hell do you think you're doing, Laurence?"

"Be a good little boy and hand the keys to you little friend, Adam," Mick said gently. He eased the Corvette in Adam's direction. Mick was not three feet away from Adam and still getting closer and Adam still didn't move. When it became apparent that Mick was not about to stop the Vet, Adam held up his hands.

"Fine! Fine!" he said, Mick stopped the Corvette right in front of Adam. "I'll give him the damn keys, happy now?"

Mick grinned. "Very."

Adam tossed the Mustang's keys to Tony. They glinted in the light from the moon as they traveled through the air. Tony caught them in a closed fist, he made to throw them to Ty but Ty held up a hand to stop him.

"Stop," Ty said. Tony drew his back down to his side and looked questioningly at Ty. "I can't take four cars back with me, I only have three people. Will you pay for them?" he asked.

Tony looked at Adam who shook his head grudgingly. Tony turned back to Ty. "No, we have plenty other cars. These two beauties have had their moments; it's time to move on now."

"Fine," Ty accepted Tony's words. "I'll only take one though."

"Which one?" Tony asked eagerly.

Ty eyed both cars but said nothing. He turned back to Amy. "You choose," he said.

"Ex-excuse me?" Amy choked back to him.

"Pick one," Ty said again just as though it was something he said to girls everyday.

"Why?" Amy questioned in shock.

"I don't want either," Ty said simply.

"Doesn't Mick get to pick one?" Amy said quickly. "You know, with him being your second and all."

"I'm not interested in either," Mick jumped in by saying. "I have two great cars and am fine for the time being."

Ty tuned back to Amy. "So? Which do you want?"

"You're giving me car? Why?" Amy asked incredulously.

Ty shrugged. "You don't have to keep it, it might be hard to explain to your folks" he didn't answer her other question though. Amy let it slide.

"Okay… well…" she eyed the two cars with her non expert eye. "I don't know anything about cars," she warned them all.

Ty laughed. "Just pick the one that looks better to you," he advised her calmly.

"Okay…" Amy said slowly and dubiously. She looked towards the Mustang and the Lamborghini once again. "Well," she began, "I'm not much of a fan of yellow cars…" Ty laughed, even Tony chuckled. "I guess I pick that one," Amy pointed towards the dark blue Mustang GT with white racing stripes. She looked at Ty for conformation that she had chosen good, Ty nodded. "Yeah, that one."

"Very well," Tony said and tossed the keys to the Mustang to Ty. Ty handed them to Amy who held them awkwardly in her hands. She didn't feel right about taking someone else's car. "Shall I pay you for the Lamb?" Tony turned back to Ty.

"You've lost graciously, that's enough for me. I've gotten what I've wanted out of this," Ty said with a shrug.

"You're a fool, Baldwin," Tony said with a shake of his head. He pulled something out of the pocket of his black leather jacket along with a pen and scribbled something down on it. It was a check. He tore it out of the check book and stepped forwards to hand it to Ty. Ty accepted it slowly. "Keep it, rules are rules after all," Tony managed a slight smile. Ty folded the check and slipped it into the back pocket of his jeans.

Tony turned away from Ty, Mick and Amy without another word. He got back into the Lamborghini and Adam got into the passenger seat. Tony rolled down the window and before he passed Ty he called out, "You've got talent, Baldwin. You might want to consider this as a career; you could do good on the track." And, with that, Tony's yellow Lamborghini disappeared from sight.

Ty watched the Lamborghini's rear lights fade into the distance with a thoughtful expression on his handsome face. His eyebrows knitted together and his forehead creased ever so slightly. Amy didn't have the heart to disrupt his thinking to enquire as to what he was thinking about. If Ty wanted her to know then he would tell them.

Ty's expression cleared a moment later. "Let's go," he said simply. "We shouldn't hang around any longer then necessary, I still don't trust Tony. He may very well call the cops and report us."

"Yeah," Mick agreed. "Where are we going?"

"Can you stash the car at your place?" Ty asked Mick.

Mick shrugged. "Sure. I doubt my parents will notice it anyway."

"Good," Ty nodded in satisfaction. "We'll drive back, each of us in one car. Amy, you can drive the Mustang."

Amy smiled, suddenly excited about driving the Mustang. "Kay."

"I'll take you back to your hotel later."

Amy's heart thudded as she remembered her family and friends. She pulled out her cell phone and checked the time. She gulped. It was nearing two in the morning. Lou, Jake and her dad were going to flip out. She noticed that she had one new message but she ignored it and put the phone back in her pocket. "Alright," she said in response to Ty's previous statement.

"Won't they wonder where you've been?" Ty asked.

Amy shrugged, "Yeah," she thought about it for a minute and was surprised with her answer when it passed through her lips, "but I don't really care." She grinned, it was the truth.

"Alright then, let's go," Ty got back into his Ferrari and Mick into his Corvette. Amy walked over to the abandoned and dark Mustang GT on the side of the road. She opened the door and the interior lights went on. She settled herself in the seat, making sure that she could reach all the gas and brake and see throw all the mirrors before closing the door and turning the key in the ignition. Mick swung his car around and pulled out first, Ty followed and Amy brought up the rear.

Amy grinned behind the wheel of the Mustang. She could feel the raw power of the car beneath her and she found that she loved that feeling. The Mustang moved smoothly forward. Ty caught Amy's grin in his rearview mirror. He laughed lightly to himself and shook his head softly, a small smile lifting his lips.

Fortunately, the tri encountered no cops on their way home. The roads were practically deserted due to the time. The town that had been so lit up and bustling with life when they had left it was now dark and calm as the reentered it.

Amy pulled the Mustang to a final stop when they reached Mick's house. Mick turned his Corvette into the circular driveway and parked. Ty parked in his driveway next door. Amy stayed out on the street, unsure of what she supposed to do with the Mustang. Mick got out of his Corvette and motioned Amy forwards. The Mustang crept silently forwards. The street was dark, there were no lights on in the houses and there were no street lights. Amy was glad the car was silent.

Amy pulled up to the side of the grand house; she stopped in front of Mick when he gestured for her to do so. Mick unlocked a small door on the side of the garage and slipped into the darkness. He reappeared a moment later carrying a large, canvas sheet. It was a car cover. Amy turned of the car, grabbed the keys and got out, shutting the door softly. Mick draped the cover over the Mustang and made sure it hid every inch of the car. He stood back to admire his work.

Amy felt a presence by her side and started slightly when she saw Ty standing there. She hadn't even heard him return.

"Let's go do something," Ty said suddenly. Mick and Amy turned to look at him. Ty grinned widely. "Something fun like… swimming. Let's go swimming."

"Er," Amy said uncertainly.

"Come on," Ty said eagerly but softly so he didn't wake Mick's parents. "We can go swimming in my pool, it will be fun. This past week has been to stressful."

Mick eyed Ty. "I think I'll pass, Ty," he said quickly. "I'll just see you guys together later… I mean see you later," he saluted them and the disappeared back into the garage, shutting the door softly behind him.

"Want to go swimming?" Ty asked Amy.

"Um, sure. But I don't have a bathing suit," she said slowly and softly.

"Not a problem," Ty said as he grabbed her hand and led her across the gravel that would have been grass in almost any other state and into his driveway. "We can go skinny dipping."

"W-what?" Amy stuttered, his words caught her off guard and made her blush bright red.

"I was joking," Ty laughed softly and he led Amy through the gate on the side of his house and into the backyard. They walked softly across the large patio, carefully sidestepping the expensive furniture Jane had chosen. They went down the stairs that led to the pool. Ty kicked off his shoes and pulled off his socks.

"Sorry," Amy said softly with a glance up at the house, "but how exactly do you plan on swimming?" she took of her shoe and socks and took her cell phone out of her pocket, placing inside on of her sneakers. Just to be on the safe side.

"Just like," Amy spun around to face Ty, he was standing right behind her. He grabbed her around the waist and lifted her up. Amy kicked her legs against him, silently laughing and trying not to wake up Ty's parents. "This," Ty swung her back and forth a few times before throwing into the pool. Amy landed in the water with a splash, shrieking a bit as the cold water immediately soaked through her clothes. She broke back to the surface and gasped for air, rubbing the water from her eyes and pushing her hair away from her face.

She looked up at Ty. He was still standing on the edge of the pool, completely dry and trying his very hardest not to laugh out loud.

"That was _not_ fair!" Amy hissed at him, trying to sound mad but she was laughing to hard for that. "I'm wearing a white shirt too!"

"Better for me then," Ty said.

Amy scowled and covered her chest with her arms.

"Aw, come one," Ty whined, "don't be like that."

Amy was struck with a sudden idea. "Then come and get me." And with that she turned and splashed her way clumsily to the far side of the pool, her toes brushed the tiled horse mural on the bottom of the pool but it went unnoticed to her. She finally made it to the other side of the pool and sat on the single step that was there. The water came to about her chest. She leaned back against the edge of the pool. Swimming in jeans was harder then it looked.

"I'd think," Ty said softly on the other side of the pool but the words reached her easily, "that that can be arranged." Amy watched, shamelessly staring, as Ty proceeded to pull off his shirt and drop it to the ground, he took the check from his pocket. Amy couldn't help but stare at his chest. It was _perfect_, like a carving in the most gorgeous stone in the world. He was tanned and toned, muscular, not over the top but just the right amount. His stomach was flat and his abs were perfect. It was very six-pack like.

Ty dove gracefully into the pool and easily swam over to Amy. He made swimming in jeans seem like a piece of cake. Amy crossed her arms over her chest, her black bra uncomfortable visible through her tight, white t-shirt.

Ty broke through the water right in front of where Amy sat. The water dripped down his face and his hair was plastered to his head. Despite the darkness, his emerald eyes were as alive and bright as ever.

Their eyes met and their gazes locked.

Amy finally broke the intense gaze by splashing some water on Ty's face. He shook his head like a dog and Amy giggled as more water landed on her. She tried to swim away from Ty but was unsuccessful in her efforts. They fought in the water. Ty, naturally, won.

Amy blushed deeply as she realized the position they had come to be in. Ty's hands were on the small of her back. Amy was no better, her legs had somehow wrapped around Ty's waist and her hands were on his shoulders.

"You know," Ty said huskily, looking into her eyes, "you really do look quite pretty all wet."

Amy laughed breathlessly at that strange complement but stopped as she met Ty's eyes again.

They slowly moved forwards. Amy's heart was racing inside her chest as her eyes closed. Their lips had almost met when the outdoor lights suddenly came on.

Amy jerked backwards in surprise, letting her legs fall away from Ty's waist.

"Shit," Ty swore under his breath and pushed Amy behind him.

"Ty?" Brad Baldwin's deep voice called down from the deck attached to his and Jane's bedroom.

"Yeah, dad?" Ty called back.

"What are you doing in the pool?" The astonishment was clear in Brad's voice.

"Oh, you know," Ty spoke casually as if this happened to him all of the time, "just taking an early morning swim."

"Early morning is right, Ty, it's three-thirty a.m." Brad called down.

"Is it?" Ty sounded baffled. "Time flies when you're having fun," he shrugged his wet shoulders. Amy huddled behind his back, staying clear out of Brad Baldwin's view.

"What in the devil possessed you to go swimming at three-thirty in the morning?"

"I got hot," Ty said simply. "I couldn't sleep because my room was so hot, I think the air-conditioner broke," he called up his dad. "I just wanted to cool off," he said innocently.

"Are you alone down there, Ty?" was Brad's next question.

"Course I am," Ty replied. Amy held her breath.

"Very well," Brad sighed. "Get up here and come to sleep Ty," he said before he closed the French doors that led to the deck and pulled the curtains closed once again. The outside lights turned of.

Ty turned around to find Amy in a fit of silent giggles.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"You are way too good at lying," she laughed. Ty shrugged. "You do realize that your dad's going to think you're insane now, right?"

Ty shrugged again. "What else is new?"

"Do you think he really believed you were alone?" Amy asked hesitantly, still laughing a bit.

"No," Ty said simply. "But, he was tired and didn't see you so at least I'll be able to defend myself. We should get out though before he comes back and actually comes down."

"Yeah, right," Amy agreed.

They waded their way back to the shallowest end of the pool. Ty hopped up the stairs easily. Amy climbed up them slower, her wet, jeans clad legs heavy.

Ty watched her and shook his head with a laugh.

"It's not funny, you know," Amy grumbled, trying to wring some of the water out of her clothes. "Wet jeans are the most uncomfortable things every."

Ty laughed quietly. Amy grabbed her shoes and cell phone and followed Ty back to the front of the house. He pulled two towels from the trunk of the Ferrari and placed them over the seats so that they did not ruin the leather.

"I'll see you later," Ty said to Amy as she opened her door to get out of the Ferrari once they arrived at The Scottsdale Princess.

Amy turned back around and looked over her shoulder at Ty. She smiled at him. "Yeah, see you. Thanks for everything, tonight was really fun."

"Yeah, it was, wasn't it?" Ty agreed softly.

Amy said goodbye and them got out of the Ferrari. She closed the door gently behind her and padded barefoot into the hotel lobby. She was grateful that no one was there. She didn't think anyone would appreciate her walking in barefoot and dripping wet.

Ty sat in the Ferrari, watching her disappear into the dark hotel. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel as he watched her retreating back. He smiled softly to himself before he pressed lightly on the gas and pulled away from the hotel.

He didn't know what he was feeling. He'd never felt these emotions before. All he knew was that he liked whatever he felt and hoped that it would never go away.

**a/n: **wow, long chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed it, I loved writing it! Especially the part with Brad, that was funny. This would have been up a lot sooner but I forgot a whole part that I really wanted to put in and had to go back. I blame you, Shawna, cause you kept yelling at me to type faster! lol. You may end up hearing from me in sooner then a month because I don't know if I can make it through a month of riding camp with my leg. Anyways, hope you liked this chapter. Review!

-Steph


	17. Welcome to the World of the Bad Kids

**a/n: **Sorrysorrysorrysorrysorry! I know it's been reeeeeeeeeeeeeeally long but I've been so busy with school and other things. Read my newest Heartland story, "Rodeo Stoner"! (which is next on my update list, followed by BP) You know you want to… it'll be really good, I swear. Well, alright… the first chapter is a bit _odd_ but it will get better! And reviews are always nice... And review this chapter too!

-Steph

**Disclaimer: **Everything recognizable belongs to Lauren Brooke.

**The Peak**

**Chapter 17—Welcome to the World of the Bad Kids**

_Thursday, April thirteenth, 2006 (Wedding is on Saturday the fifteenth. I know I said fourteenth in the beginning but now it's the fifteenth.)_

Amy walked slowly into the hotel, savoring every last bit of her evening with Ty. She listened as the soft purr of the Ferrari disappeared into the night, she didn't look back. She opened the door to the hotel and slipped into the dimly lit lobby. She was relieved when she found no hotel staff behind the desk. They weren't too fond of people walking around without shoes, right? And leaving a trail of chlorine water one the expensive carpet wasn't exactly smiled upon, right?

Either way, Amy walked semi stiffly over to the elevator, her wet jeans clinging uncomfortably to her legs. She padded silently into the elevator and pressed the button that would take her to her floor. There was a light 'ping' as the elevator reached her floor and the doors opened. Amy stepped out and the elevator doors slid shut behind her.

She looked around her. It was dark and empty, which was probably a good thing considering that every second that ticked by brought them closer to four am.

_The only thing, _Amy thought as she dug in her pocket for her room key, _about the time is that everyone is sure to be sleeping. I'll just think of an excuse to tell them tomorrow… er, later today._

She inserted her room key into the slot provided by the door handle. The light blinked green and Amy turned the handle and pushed the door open. If she had not been so lost in her thoughts, she would have noticed that only from her room was there a faint sliver of light protruding from under the door in the dark hallway.

Keeping her head down, her mind occupied with thoughts other then where she was, Amy walked stiffly into the room, her wet jeans making a rough, scratching noise against the tiled entrance. She was in the process of placing her wet sneakers down next to the door when an angry voice spoke up,

"Amy Fleming, where _have_ you been?"

Amy dropped her shoes in shock and then froze. She slowly lifted her head. There was her dad, and Grandpa and the rest of her friends, Matt, Soraya, Tom and Joni.

"Um… hi," Amy said weakly.

Furry filled Tim's face as he faced his middle daughter. The daughter that had gotten back at four in the morning and had an ever growing wet puddle growing around her. "Would you care to explain to us just where exactly you were?" Tim fought to keep his voice calm but it was laced with fury all the same.

Amy opened her mouth to speak her excuse.

Tim stopped her, however. "And don't even try saying that you got lost getting the snacks," Amy fell silent. "Soraya went to look for you five hours ago and found the chips and soda in the hall, you, however, was nowhere insight. The truth this time, Amy."

"I…" Amy weighed her words carefully. "I was getting the soda and chips and stuff," she began, "and I was walking back to the elevator when I… when I ran into a friend."

"This friend being who exactly?" The look on Tim's face clearly showed that he didn't even need to ask the question, he knew the answer already… just like everyone else clearly did.

"Um… no one you know," Amy said weakly in attempt to save herself. Her efforts were in vain.

"You were with that _boy_," Tim stated factually.

"He's not a boy, dad." Amy froze when she saw the look on Tim's face… and her Grandfather's face and her friends faces. She was puzzled for a moment and thought back over her words. "No!" she gasped. "I didn't mean it like that! I…"

"What did you mean by that statement then, Amy?" Tim asked, fury building on his face. He was going to murder that _boy_ if he had laid one finger on his daughter.

_Smooth, Amy, real smooth. Just dig yourself in deeper. _

"I just meant that he has a name," Amy said weakly.

"If that boy – excuse me, _Ty_ – laid one finger on you then…" There really was no reason for Tim to finish his threat.

"He didn't touch me, dad," well, it wasn't completely a lie, he hadn't touched her like that… save maybe once…

Tim picked up the tone in Amy's voice and stared at her. "You can swear by that?"

"Well, yeah, sure."

"Amy," Tim said in a warning voice.

"He didn't touch me like that at all, dad, I _swear_," Amy said honestly.

"But he touched you," Tim confirmed.

"No, that's not what I meant. I—" Amy paused. "Ty's not like that, dad. Why do you guys insist on seeing the worst in him?" She wasn't at a complete lose as to where their opinions had come from.

"We only judge him on the behavior he has exhibited in our presence in the past several weeks," Tim said.

"He's not a bad guy, though," Amy was quick to defend him. "He's really nice to me," she assured them. Judging by the look she received from her father maybe that wasn't the correct wording for that particular sentiment. She turned to face Jack, "Come on, Grandpa," she begged him, "you knew him better then dad did, tell him Ty's not a bad guy. Please."

Jack's face was pained. He didn't want to hurt his Granddaughter but—"Amy," he began, "I know how Ty used to be and I also know how he is now," he said carefully. "He's not the same kid he was before the accident. He hasn't changed for the better; your father is well placed in his accusations."

Amy was silent. "But he's different around me," she said firmly, she remembered how he had treated her friends but she also knew how he was so different when it was just the two of them… well three, if Mick was to be counted since he was often times there too. "He's really nice, just like he used to be, two years ago," with a few changed in his likes and interests of course. Though, come to think of it, she didn't think that racing was something that the old Ty wouldn't have tried. It was just in his nature to do things like that. The old Ty just wouldn't have taken things to the extremes that the new Ty tended to do.

"Amy," Tim began sternly, "there is nothing about that boy that is the same as two years ago. Accidents can do strange things to people. Ty's changed… and not for the better."

"You're wrong!" Amy yelled as loud as she dared. "You're _all_ wrong!"

"You are not in the position to be yelling at us, young lady," Tim warned his daughter.

Amy stayed silent and looked at the floor and the puddle of water that was growing rapidly around her.

"He's not bad though," Amy insisted after a moment, her eyes still fixed on the wet floor. "I mean, I get why you guys think that he is but he's not. He's… different around me. He wouldn't do anything to put me in danger," Amy insisted confidently, finally looking up at her father.

"Amy," Tim sighed wearily, "what do you expect us to think? You walk in at four in the morning soaking wet and you have yet to tell us what you were doing."

"Um," Amy traced her toe through the water, "we, um, went… swimming."

"You've been swimming for six hours?"

"Um, no, not exactly."

"What would posses you to go swimming at this time? And in your clothes, no less?"

"Um," Amy thought quickly. "The air-conditioner broke?" she tried out the excuse Ty had used with his father but it came out more as a question.

"Nice try," Tim said. "So did Ty's parents know you were there?"

"Um, well, Ty's dad knew that he was there…"

"But he didn't know you were there," Tim finished. "So, let me get this straight, you've been with Ty, _alone_, for the past six hours, some part of that time being spent at his house and his parents didn't know you were there. Is that correct?"

"We didn't go _inside_ his house," Amy said meekly.

Tim had been trying to control his anger and, in his opinion, had been doing a fine job of it, but now it all came back. He let out a deep breath to try and calm himself as he faced his dripping wet daughter.

"Mick was there, too," Amy blurted out.

"Great," Tim pushed a hand through his hair. "There were two of them. Is that supposed to make me feel any better about this, Amy?"

"God, _dad_," Amy sighed, exasperated. "They didn't _do_ anything, okay? He was really cool while I was in his car and—"

"You were in his _car_?" Tim yelled.

Amy cringed. "Just for a little bit while Ty was…" she stopped abruptly.

"While Ty was what, Amy?"

"Um, nothing really. Ty was just, uh, otherwise occupied at the time."

"Occupied doing what?" Tim asked.

"Um, nothing important really," Amy shifted her weight uncomfortably.

"What was Ty doing, Amy?" Tim repeated, more forcefully this time. Clearly he expected an answer.

"It wasn't anything," Amy insisted, "really. He was just, uh, taking care of something I guess, with a friend," Amy added hurriedly.

"This friend being…?"

"I don't know," Amy shrugged.

Something sparked in Tim's eyes. "Amy, I swear to God if any of that car racing crap went on tonight while you were with them then—"

"_God_! Dad!" Amy yelled, finally loosing it. "Why do you ca_r_e what they did? I've told you fifty million times already that they didn't do anything to hurt me! I'm standing right here! Do I look hurt to you? I'm _fine_! Whatever Ty and Mick want to do is their business and it doesn't concern you! I was only with them because I made Ty take me with them, okay? I went on my own accord and I swear that everything Ty did, he did to keep me safe!" Amy took a deep breath and stopped her rant.

"You are not to see this boy ever again."

Amy's eyes widened in shock. "But, dad—"

"No, Amy, you are not going to see him again while we're here. We'll be going home in not even a week; I trust that you can manage without his presence for a few more days."

"Dad! That's not fair! I—" Amy tried to protest.

"It _is_ fair, Amy," Tim said. "I don't want to hear anything more on the matter. Tomorrow, excuse me, this afternoon at twelve we are going on a boat tour of Lake Pleasant. I would suggest getting some sleep now."

"I've already been to Lake Pleasant," Amy snapped at her father.

"Well you're just going to go again, aren't you?" was Tim's reply. Tim turned to face Soraya, Matt, Joni and Tom. "You guys get some rest now."

And, without another word from anyone, Tim and Jack left the room, closing the door behind them with a gentle click.

Amy stood in the puddle of water for a minute, too stunned to do anything.

"Amy—" Matt started but never got the chance to complete his thought.

Amy rounded on him and the others that were either sitting on Soraya or Joni's respective beds or the couch. "What?" she hissed. "Haven't you done enough already?"

"What?" Soraya asked, confused. "We didn't do anything, Amy."

"Like hell you didn't!" Amy burst out.

"Amy, what are you talking about?" Joni asked cautiously.

"You could have tried you know!" Amy said. "You could have tried to cover for me! But did you? No!" Amy accused. She knew that she was out of line in what she was saying but she was too far gone to care at that point.

"What did you want us to do, Amy?" Soraya asked meekly. "We were waiting for you but you didn't come. We didn't know where you were! We thought you might be in trouble or something."

"Well I wasn't," Amy snapped. "I was perfectly fine and _happy_. But now I am in trouble, so thanks."

"We were just worried about you," Tom said softly.

"Well you had no reason to be," Amy said coldly as she yanked dry clothes out of the dresser she had claimed as hers.

"We didn't know that though," Matt said defensively. "You could have been kidnapped or something."

"Unless you count kidnapping as going with someone on your own free will then I wasn't kidnapped," Amy assured them.

"How were we to know that, Amy?" Soraya wailed. "I tried calling your cell-phone but you didn't answer! Your dad came in here to say goodnight to you and… what were we supposed to tell him?"

"You could have said that I was getting the food," Amy suggested. "Or that I was taking a shower, or that I was getting some medicine because I wasn't feeling well or that I was already asleep because I had a headache. There are a lot of things you could have told him but you told him that you had no idea where I was. You're great friends."

Soraya, Matt, Joni and Tom were all silent after Amy's accusation.

"Amy, that's not fair!" Joni said.

Amy held up a hand. "What_ever_. I'm going to change and then try to figure out a way to get myself out of this." Amy stomped into the bathroom and slammed the door behind her.

Soraya, Joni, Tom and Matt were left in a stunned silence, not quite sure what exactly they should do next.

**The Peak**

_Noon_

_Lake Pleasant_

Amy stomped out of the Dodge Durango and crossed her arms over her chest, making no effort to disguise her distaste a being at Lake Pleasant. She put on her tinted sunglasses and stared at her father as he got out of the drivers side.

"Be nice," he hissed to Amy as he grabbed her arm. "For your sisters' sake." Tim let her go and turned away.

No one besides those that had been in the room early that morning had any idea of what had happened the night before. Though, some had already questioned Amy's less then cheery mood.

Amy followed behind the rest of her family and friends as they walked through the parking lot to the large dock that the ferry was moored at.

She felt ridiculous in her white bikini decorated with blue, pink and orange hearts, the halter, string bikini top had a big heart accompanied by two smaller hearts on the right side, black Bermuda shorts and had ditched her t-shirt in the car. Actually, she knew she should feel ridiculous, it wasn't a very 'Amy-Fleming-outfit' but she didn't, not really. With her big sunglasses and long brown hair down and straight, she would be so bold as to say that she looked hot. Too bad that a certain somebody wasn't there to notice her.

Soraya looked behind her to her best friend. She didn't understand Amy's sudden mood change. She'd never acted like this before. Soraya shook her head but turned to face forwards again. She'd talk to Amy later and work everything out, but, for now, she was determined to have a good time.

Amy missed Soraya's gaze and Soraya missed the grin the lifted Amy's lips.

Amy had been looking around the parking lot, just out of what had become habit. She couldn't very well miss the black Ferrari and hunter green Corvette that were parked side by side, could she? Now, her thoughts were filled of how to get away from being stuck on that tourist boat so she could have a little more fun.

Amy glanced towards the open bar. She quickly scanned over all of the young people that were there despite the early time. Her eyes stopped on two figures, both obviously male, that sat at the bar. There backs were turned. One had blonde hair and the other had brown hair, both had broad shoulders and were tan.

The brown haired one spun around on his bar stool. The emerald eyes that met Amy's gaze were all the confirmation she needed.

Ty smiled widely at her and waved. Amy waved back. Ty beckoned her over with his hand. Amy pointed to her large group of family and friends and shrugged apologetically. Ty just gestured to her again, clearly adamant about her joining him. Mick turned around and grinned and waved, too. He, too, beckoned her over. Amy sighed; obviously she was overpowered and had no choice but to consent.

"Uh, dad?" Amy said. Everyone stopped at Amy's voice, momentarily surprised that Amy had decided to finally speak.

"Yes, Amy?" Tim said wearily, praying that Amy would be nice.

"I'm going to go over to get a drink," she gestured vaguely to the bar. "You know," she said quickly, "water." A quick glance over told her that Ty and Mick had smartly turned back around so that their back s faced her.

"I've got a water right here, Ames," Lou said, going to pull a water bottle out of her beach bag.

"I want a cold water," Amy said quickly. "I'll be back."

She didn't wait for another word from anyone before she was walking off to the bar. Tim watched her retreating back curiously. He looked towards the bar but saw nothing suspicious. He and the rest of his family and friends continued down the 'boardwalk', he trusted Amy to not do anything that he would be against.

Amy, on the other hand, felt just a little guilty at disobeying her father but she walked determinedly forwards. She was almost seventeen; she could take care of herself.

Ty turned back around to face her as he heard her flip-flops crunching on the gravel getting closer to him. He leaned back against the bar and watched as she approached.

Amy was glad for the dark sunglasses she wore at that moment. She was glad that could not see her eyes, afraid that he would be able to read her as easily as he had once upon a time. Because, the sight of six foot three inches of pure male God was enough to unnerve even Amy. Especially when said male only wore a pair of cameo shorts and dark leather flip-flops and, having no shirt left none of his beautiful, taught, muscled and tanned chest to the imagination. The brown hair that almost completely covered his dazzling emerald eyes only helped in many pleasant ways.

Amy was beginning to think that there was a whole other meaning to 'Lake Pleasant'.

"Hey," Ty said as Amy reached him. She stopped to awkwardly stand in front of him, not allowing herself to look at his chest. It was ridiculous, had she not just seen his chest earlier that morning? Why feel like this _now_?

"Hey," Amy echoed in response.

"Long time no see," Ty joked.

Amy rolled her eyes and laughed along with Ty, feeling more comfortable now that they were laughing.

"How are you?" Amy asked, looking back on it she realized how lame it sounded.

Ty didn't seem to care however. "Besides the fact that I got three hours of sleep I'm fine."

"I beat you on that one," Amy joked. "I got five hours."

"I'd still be asleep now if it weren't for mom," he sighed. "She woke me up for school and wouldn't leave me alone until I was up."

"Oh," Amy said, "right. Shouldn't you be at school then?" she asked skeptically.

"I really didn't think I could function on three hours of sleep," Ty informed her with a grin. "I decided to come here instead. Besides, I figured a victory day was in store for last night and Mick agreed."

"I see," Amy laughed. "You can't do school work but you can operate machinery." She was, of course, referring to Ty's boat.

"Course," Ty agreed. "Oh yeah, did anyone know you weren't there last night?" he asked with a trace of concern.

Amy snorted. "Yeah, my dad, grandpa and friends were all up when I got in."

"Sorry, I guess I got you in trouble, huh?"

"Well, I pointed out many times that I had not been kidnapped and all but… yeah. Dad was pretty mad. In fact," Amy began, "I've been forbidden to see you."

"Forbidden to see me?" Ty laughed like it was a big joke. Amy joined in his laughter too, it really was quite funny once she thought about it. "And yet you're here."

"And yet I'm here," Amy echoed. "That should tell you something, huh?"

"Yes," Ty said with a smile, "it does."

Amy and Ty lapsed into silence.

Mick, who had been having his own conversation with a pretty redhead, had been listening the whole time and excused himself from the redhead for a moment to turn to Ty and Amy and say, "Now's the time when you sneak her off to your boat, Ty." Then he turned back to the redhead.

Ty laughed at his friend. "So, do you want to do as he says?" he asked Amy.

"Go on your boat?" Amy stated the obvious.

"What else?"

"What about my dad and everyone else? We're supposed to be going on that boat tour of the lake," Ty wrinkled his nose in distaste at the idea. Amy noticed Ty's expression and tapped a finger against her lips. "You know," she remarked, "I agree, I'm all up for your boat."

Ty's grin made a grin spread across Amy's face, too.

"Great," Ty leapt off of his barstool. He reached behind him and grabbed an old, worn and fraying army green baseball cap. "Disguise," he told Amy as he pulled it on his head.

"Ah, I see."

"Let's go." Ty grabbed Amy's hand and pulled her out of the bar.

Mick grinned as he watched them go. _Ty was so gone_, he thought with a laugh before he turned back to the pretty redhead.

Ty and Amy slowed to a casual walk as they passed behind Amy's large group of family and friends. Ty made sure that he was walking closest to the group and he put his arm over Amy's bare shoulder. If everything went according to plan then they wouldn't be noticed, but, if they were, Ty hoped the hat would give them enough time to get away with just being seen as an ordinary couple.

Tim looked around for any sign of Amy. He couldn't see her at the bar and they were getting on the ferry right then. His only hope was that she had already gotten onto the ferry. Tim sighed as he stepped onto the big boat behind Helena. He'd look for her and so help him she had better be on that boat.

The rest of the ferry was loaded and the ramp locked in its upright position. A long, loud, blast of the whistle signaled the ferries departure.

Amy laughed at how easy it had been.

Ty grabbed her hand again and they ran towards the dock that held the privately owned boats. He helped her onto the rocking speed boat before jumping in behind the steering wheel. Soon enough, they were speeding around the lake.

Amy knew she'd be in trouble later but, she realized, she didn't really care. There was only so long she could go on being the naive, goody-goody girl she had been. And, quite frankly, she liked this way much better.

**The Peak**

Lily couldn't remember being so bored in a long time. She could tell that Soraya, Matt, Joni and Tom all felt the same, too. The only ones that were enjoying themselves were the adults. Lily saw no point in being stuck on the damned floating tourist contraption that crawled along the water.

Lily wasn't sure how her step-sister had managed it, but Amy was nowhere to be seen on the boat. Lily was quite envious of Amy though, the livid look on Tim's face when he found that Amy was not on the boat was enough to make Lily feel sorry for the time Amy would get when she was found.

Lily leaned against the railing and looked down into the clear water. Her and her family took up one side of the ferry. Lily was in the middle with Tom, Joni, Matt and Soraya on one side and all of the adults on the other.

A fake, boring voice was droning on and on from the speakers overhead about the mountains surrounding Lake Pleasant. Lily paid no attention to it. She wished that she might be older so that she could be on one of the speedboats, preferably on a trip with her friends. Now _that_ would be fun.

Lily watched as a particularly flashy black speedboat sliced across the water. The bright sun shone off of the glossy paintjob and accented the dark blue, green and gray stripes on the side. A girl sat on the side of the boat clutching the guardrail, completely ignoring the built in couches that were meant to be sat on. The wind whipped her long brown hair back and she was laughing. There was a boy standing behind the steering wheel. The wind was blowing his dark hair around too and, he too was laughing.

They both looked happy, Lily noted with a sigh. She wished she could be on that boat.

She couldn't help herself as she reached over and grabbed on to Tim's arm. "Oh, daddy!" she pleaded. "Could you please rent a speedboat for later? Please?" she gave her father he best puppy-dog face. Tim smiled at his daughter.

"We'll see, Lils."

"Pleeeeeease?" Lily begged some more. "Look!" she pointed to the black speedboat that was fast approaching them. "Doesn't that look like fun?"

"We'll see, Lils," Tim repeated.

Lily pouted, that was most likely a no. She leaned over the railing and glared at the speedboat.

It surprised her to see that the speedboat was slowing down until it came to a stop a little ways away from the ferry. Lily reasoned that they were not at all aware of the ferry.

Lily was, indeed right. Neither Ty nor Amy noticed the ferry so near to them. Ty because he tended not to notice things that were of no concern to him and Amy because she was having such a good time she had forgotten all about her family and friends and the ferry ride.

Ty shut the engine off completely and abandoned his control station to join Amy. He sat on the couch next to where Amy sat on the side of the boat.

"So, having fun yet?" He asked Amy with a grin as she attempted to straighten her hair.

"Yes," Amy smiled big. "This is so much fun. I—"

Amy started to say but was cut off by the loud blasting of a horn. She let out a small screech and jumped, startled. Ty grabbed her by the waist and managed to steady her before she tipped off the side of the boat. Amy laughed at herself but stopped as she looked towards where the sound had come from. Her eyes traveled up the high sides of a large ship. She gripped Ty's arm quite hard as she was met with the sight of her family and friends lining the edge of the boat.

Lily was shocked when she recognized the girl on the black speedboat as Amy. Amy look equally shocked, her eyes grew wide and her mouth dropped open.

"Look up," Amy hissed to Ty.

Ty looked slowly up and collapsed against the cushions of the couch with a groan.

On the boat, the horn had attracted the attention of all its passengers. Lily listened with dread as the captain came on the loud speaker and chuckled, "Looks like we've given our friends down there a bit of a fright," he chuckled some more in a way that Lily found increasingly annoying. "Everybody wave!"

Tim, and the rest of his group, looked down. All of them were smiling and laughing until they saw who just they were waving to.

"Ty!" Amy pushed his shoulders until he was standing up. "GO!"

Ty needed no extra urging as he leapt back to the steering wheel and jammed the key back into the ignition. He twisted it and it seemed to take forever for the rumble of the engine to come back.

"Amy?" Tim said in shock as he watched the boat. "AMY!" He yelled furiously.

Amy gulped, knowing she'd be in trouble later, and slid back down onto the couch. She ran carefully over to where Ty was. "Why aren't you going?" she demanded.

"I am going," Ty said and the small boat jerked forwards. Once again, Ty caught Amy around the waist with one hand to keep her upright. The boat gathered speed as the distance between it and the ferry grew. Tim shouted after them but was not heard.

Ty slowed the speedboat down to a crawl when the ferry was but a dot in the distance.

Amy collapsed onto the couch and buried her face in a pillow.

"Do you want to go back?" Ty asked her.

Amy sat up. "No," she said. "I'd rather delay going back there."

"And it's my pleasure to delay your return," Ty flashed a grin. "Though," he remarked, "they may really think I'm kidnapping you then."

"Dad can think whatever he wants," Amy said.

"I use much the same philosophy with my dad, too," Ty continued trying to cheer Amy up.

"I'm in _so_ much trouble," Amy groaned after a bit, glancing over her shoulder just to make sure that the ferry was nowhere near them.

"Welcome to the world of the bad kids," Ty said lightly.

**a/n: **so? I'll update soon and I'm off to work of RS. Review! -Steph


	18. No Time like the Present

**Authors Note—**I absolutely HATE this chapter but oh well… there's like two (possibly three) chapters left. Review!

-Steph

**Disclaimer: **Lauren Brooke owns anything recognizable.

**The Peak**

**Chapter 18— No Time like the Present**

_Thursday, April thirteenth, 2006_

Amy could see her whole family standing by the gate that led to the private dock. Her father looked particularly livid.

She was highly tempted to just tell Ty to turn the boat around and go somewhere else, but that would be running away from her problems and Amy was tired of running away from her problems. All she'd done since Ty's accident was run away. She'd found Ty now and she wasn't running away.

Ty took longer then necessary to direct the speedboat back to its mooring spot and Amy was grateful. Her new philosophy may have been to not run away, but that didn't mean that she was anxious to face her father.

Ty finally pocketed the keys to the boat and stepped off onto the deck to tie the boat to the dock. Amy stayed in her seat on the couch.

Ty came back on the boat and sat down next to Amy. They were silent for a moment, both lost in their own thoughts.

"So," Ty broke the silence, "I guess you should be getting out there before I get you in anymore trouble."

"Yeah, I guess," Amy said softly, staring out across the lake towards the distant mountains, admiring how the bright sunshine glinted off the glassy surface of the water.

Ty stood up and reached down a hand to help Amy up. Amy looked up at him and had a quick thought.

"Do you have a pen?" she inquired.

Ty lowered his hand. "Yeah, why?"

Amy shook her head. "Can I see it?"

"Sure." Ty wouldn't show it but he was slightly confused. He didn't like being confused and, even more confusing was the little fact that Amy was the only girl that confused him. Ty pulled out a little drawer that was built into the side of the boat and extracted a black Sharpie. "Is this good enough?" he held it up to show Amy.

"Yeah," Amy quickly nodded her head.

Ty handed her the Sharpie and watched her curiously to see what she'd do with it. Needless to say, he was more then a little surprised when Amy grabbed his hand and scribbled a series of ten digits on his palm.

"There," Amy said once she was done. She released Ty's hand and snapped the top back on the Sharpie. She looked up at Ty and smiled, "That's my cell number," she told him.

"Ah," Ty grinned, "gotcha."

They lapsed into a silence that was, surprisingly, not awkward at all.

"Hey," Ty finally said, "when are you leaving?" His voice wasn't rude, it was merely curious.

"Tuesday," Amy said softly. "My sisters' wedding is on Saturday."

"Oh."

There was another short silence before Amy said, "Come."

"What?"

Amy turned to look at Ty. "Come, please," she almost pleaded. "To my sisters wedding, I gave you the invitation, remember?"

Ty did remember, it was stuffed in one of his desk drawers; he hadn't quite been able to throw it away before. "I don't think I can."

"You don't have to come for the whole thing, you don't even have to come to the ceremony, just come for a little bit of the party. It will be fun."

"I meant," Ty said, "that I don't think I'd be quite welcomed there."

Amy was silent for a second before replying, "I invited you, didn't I? Therefore, you _are_ welcomed."

"Look," Ty said gently, not quite sure how to let her down, "I don't think I'll come."

Amy was silent again as she fiddled with the Sharpie in her hands. "Will I see you again?" she wondered aloud.

"You're here until Tuesday and, besides, we seem to have a way of running into each other, don't we?" Ty grinned down at her, attempting to lighten the mood. To his utter relief, Amy smiled.

"Yeah, you're right," she said. "But my dad will never let me out of his sight now."

"You can sneak out," Ty suggested helpfully. "It always works for me," he added.

Amy laughed. "I'm not very good a sneaking," she admitted.

"You managed it today quite well."

"Well, I sup_pose_ I could give it a go," Amy laughed up at Ty. "Though, my dad might kill me if I disappear one more time," she warned him.

"Well I guess that's a risk we'll just have to take," Ty joked.

"Hey!" Amy exclaimed and hit him in the arm, laughing the whole time.

Amy and Ty were both laughing when someone jumped into the boat, making the boat rock back and forth.

"Hola, amigos," Mick announced himself. He leant back against the cushions comfortably and casually, as if just jumping onto to peoples boats was something he did everyday.

Amy and Ty stared at Mick. Mick looked up and caught their gazes.

"What?" he asked innocently. "Did I interrupt a moment or something?" Amy blushed. "Don't worry," Mick assured her with a grin, "I made sure you two weren't doing anything naughty."

Amy's blush deepened.

For once in his life, Ty was at a lose for a comeback and that fact was not left unnoticed by Mick. And it was that fact that rendered Mick speechless. All in all, Ty's lack of words at the moment left them all stunned, needless to say Ty was included in that statistic.

"Yeah, so," Mick cleared his throat, "your dad looked ready to murder me when I walked past him."

Amy nodded thoughtfully but found her thoughts elsewhere.

"So, are you going to, you know, go and tell him that you're okay or something?"

Amy nodded thoughtfully once again. She seemed to snap out of whatever world had previously been occupying her thoughts. "Yeah, I should go." She stood up and looked towards her family. The look in her dads' eyes made her almost want to sit back down.

"I'll come too," Ty offered, standing up next to Amy.

"Yeah, me too," Mick seconded, "we'll be your bodyguards," he joked.

Amy looked back up to her group of family and friends once again. "Yeah, I might need a couple of those," she joked wryly.

"Well," Ty said after a moment of tense silence, "like I always say, there's no time like the present so lets—"

Ty was cut off as Mick exploded with laughter so intense that he was forced back onto the couch. "What a load of shit, you lazy ass," he howled in laughter.

Amy watched Mick with alarm. Ty took her arm and turned her to face him, "He has a slight problem, just ignore him," he advised her.

"It's not just that," Mick choked out, not seeming to realize that he was more or less insulting himself, "it's the combined affect at spending the day at a bar and knowing that Ty has never once stuck to his little saying 'there's no time like the present'. I swear, Amy," he managed to stand once again as he faced Amy, "you've never seen suck a lazy ass in your whole life. He doesn't do anything unless he feels like it and—"

"Thanks for that, Mick," Ty smirked.

"No problem, buddy," Mick hardly seemed to realize that Ty had just cut him off mid thought.

Ty turned back to Amy, that glint she had come to know so well in his eyes. "So, do you want to go back with your family? Because, you know, I'm sure I could manage to sneak you off again."

Ty's offer seemed much too appealing to Amy. "Oh yeah?" she decided to joke around too. "And just how would you do that?"

"Well," Ty began, taking a step closer to her, "I could think of a few ways off the top of my head, the simplest being to just… run…"

Amy laughed and Ty joined in. Mick sat back down on the couch and rested his arms along the back, regarding his friend and Amy with a look of curiosity. _Oh yeah, _he thought, _Ty's so gone._

"That offer is much too tempting, Mr. Baldwin," Amy laughed.

"Oh, I see how it is," Ty faux huffed. "Its Mr. Baldwin now, is it, Miss Fleming?"

"Alright, not that you two aren't just so sickeningly sweet," Mick cut in their playful banter, "I really think that something needs to be done about the situation on hand."

"What a time to be serious." Ty looked down at his friend.

"Betchya didn't know I could be serious, did you?"

"I had no idea."

"He's right," Amy cut in regretfully. "My dad's ready to kill me but I'm sure he could put in a call to the police beforehand to have to arrested for 'kidnapping' me."

Ty glanced at Tim quickly. "Yeah, I guess my dad wouldn't be too happy if he had to pick me up from the station, would he?"

"The expression 'dead man' would have a whole new meaning, my friend. I mean, if you get into trouble one more time…" Mick trailed off his thought but added a whistle for good measure.

"Well," Amy said, drawing the attention back to herself and, therefore, the situation that was currently on hand, "I'm sure that that conversation could go on in some quite interesting ways but I think that I have to go."

Ty nodded silently. He jumped up onto the side of the boat and then stepped out onto the deck, reaching out a hand to help Amy out of the boat.

Amy walked in between Mick and Ty as they made their way along the dock. It seemed to be sooner then Amy had hoped that they were standing in front of her father.

Tim looked livid and couldn't seem to find any words. The rest of the "gang" stood silently, slightly scared of directing some of Tim's wrath towards themselves. Amy, however, tried to keep her spirits up by pretending to be cheerful.

"Hi, dad. You remember Ty, right? And Mick Laurence? Remember you met him at SASSI?" Tim didn't say anything and Amy shifted nervously. "Remember, dad?" she echoed feebly.

Tim sighed tiredly and suddenly looked drained of all energy. "I remember."

Ty, never being a fan of awkward situations yet always being able to find an amusing way out of them, grinned at Tim. Tim didn't look too pleased with Ty's grin but Ty didn't care.

"We are leaving now, Amy," Tim said suddenly and the silence ended. "Would you care to come with us?"

Amy glanced up a Ty quickly before looking back to her father. "Are you giving me a choice?" she asked hopefully.

"No."

"Oh." Amy looked back to Ty. "Well, I'll see you later I guess… you too, Mick."

"See ya, Amy," Mick grinned.

"Bye," Ty nodded before he and Mick walked away towards the parking lot where the famous black Ferrari and hunter green Corvette were parked in the bright sun.

As she watched them leave, Amy suddenly felt very alone. Now she had to deal with her father and the inevitable grounding.

She followed slightly behind her family and friends as they walked back to the cars they had come in, all the while fiddling with something in her hand. She looked down and realized with a start that she had forgotten to give Ty back his Sharpie. She grinned as new thoughts formed in her head. Sure, Ty probably could careless about one little Sharpie but…

"Hey, dad?" she said in her most innocent voice as she waited to get into the navy Dodge Durango.

Tim turned around slowly from the drivers side door and looked at her. "Yes?"

"I forgot to give this to, Ty," she held up the Sharpie, "so I'm just going to go and give it back to him. Okay?"

"You're not going anywhere, Amy," Tim said.

"But, dad," Amy argued, "I'm stealing someone else's personal property if I don't give it back to him."

"It's a Sharpie, Amy, I'm sure the boy can survive without it."

"Dad, please," Amy begged. "What's it going to hurt? I'm just going to go over there and give him his marker back and then come right back. I won't even talk to him," she attempted to bargain with her dad.

"If it is so important that you give the boy the Sharpie back then you can mail it to him."

"_Dad_," Amy groaned. "What's the big deal?"

"The big deal, Amy, is that you have run away from me and lied to me twice already today." Amy almost argued that she hadn't technically run away from him the first time but she thought better of it. "You are in serious trouble, young lady."

"Yeah, okay I get it," Amy said. "So I'll just be giving Ty back his Sharpie and I'll come right back, I doubt I can get into anymore trouble, right?"

Amy started to walk over to where Ty and Mick were just getting into their respective cars.

"If you leave now, Amy, them you'll have to find your own ride back to the hotel because we're leaving now." Apparently, Tim had given up on trying reasoning with his daughter.

Needless to say, Amy hardly believed that he would just leave her there (not that it would be a big deal because she was sure that Ty would drive her back) and kept on walking, not even realizing that by doing so she was just digging herself in deeper.

"Ty!" she called out and ran forwards as to alert Ty's attention to her before he started to drive off.

Ty looked up and saw Amy running towards him and shifted the car back into park. Mick and his Vet idled behind Ty's Ferrari.

"Hey," he called out as she approached him in slight confusion. How had she managed to escape from her father _again_? Ty was beginning to think that Amy really, _really_ wasn't the good girl type he had first picked her out to be.

She stopped by the Ferrari and held out the Sharpie. "Here," she said, "I forgot to give this back to you."

"Oh, right," Ty laughed as he took the Sharpie from her. "I'd forgotten all about it," he admitted as he dropped it into the glove compartment.

"Yeah, I'd figured as much but—" Amy began but was cut off by the loud honking of a horn. She looked up and watched in some form of fascinated horror as the two cars her family had rented drove right out of the parking lot, not even stopping to get her. "He left without me!" Amy gasped incredulously.

"Who?" Ty asked even though he already knew.

"My dad," Amy looked around just to make sure that it had, indeed, been them. It was. "Oh, man," she groaned, "what am I going to do? He's going to kill me and I don't have a way to get home and—"

"Have you forgotten that you are standing right next to two people who have cars and are going the same way as your father and who would be more then happy to give you a ride back to your hotel?" Ty interrupted her with a grin.

Indeed Amy had forgotten that little fact. "Really?" she questioned hopefully.

"Yes. In fact we could even beat your dad back to The Princess. What do you say?"

"I say…" Amy thought for a brief second, "that that sounds like a whole lot of fun."

"Good. Get in," he ordered her and unlocked the passenger side door.

Any walked around to the other side of the Ferrari and slipped into the cool leather seat. Was it even possible for the leather to still be cool after sitting out in the blazing sun all day? Quite frankly, she didn't really care.

Amy knew her dad to be a good driver but also a safe driver that never went one mph over the speed limit. Even is the speed limit on the long, empty road was 65mph, Tim stood no chance against Ty and Mick's safe yet reckless driving. Amy tried to remember if she'd ever been in Ty's care when he had gone the speed limit.

The wind rushed through the Ferrari's opened top and blew her hair around wildly. She finally just gave up trying to keep it in order and let it fly around. Where would the fun in tying it up have been?

It was more the driver of the Ferrari that looked irresistible though. There was just something about a guy driving a Ferrari, wearing no shirt, being perfectly tanned and toned and having his hair flying around his face.

Amy figured it could have been more then five or six minutes before she could see the Durango up ahead.

"Ready to have some fun?" Ty asked over the wind as they neared the Durango.

"Yes," Amy laughed aloud.

Ty grinned and briefly looked in the rearview mirror. He made a gesture with his hand and Mick caught it. Mick grinned and nodded, already knowing what was going on.

Ty's foot expertly lowered onto the gas pedal and the speedometer gradually ticked upwards, nearing and then surpassing 100mph. Amy laughed aloud as the engine grew slightly louder and wind rushed faster. The Ferrari didn't so much as jerk as Ty shifted it up into a higher gear and gave it a little more gas. Who needed gas guzzling SUV's when Ty was behind the wheel?

This was a moment that Ty waited for. He lived for the opportunity to completely and thoroughly piss someone off. And, needless to say, he wasn't very fond of Tim and Amy was laughing so he assumed that all was good. After all, Ty lived to serve a pretty lady…

Amy watched the Durango rapidly grow closer through a daze. She could hardly believe that it was actually her sitting next to Ty in the speeding Ferrari, her that had gone from the perfect daughter to the rebellious one in less the twenty-four hours. He friends at home would never ever believe what she was doing when she told them. Amy had the slight feeling that she should feel bad or at least a little guilty at what she was doing but she… couldn't.

As far as she believed, she hadn't done anything _wrong_. It wasn't her fault that her father didn't like Ty, was it? Of course not! Ty was different a few weeks ago and even though he still wasn't exactly the same as he had been several years ago, Amy still liked him. It wasn't her fault that her family and friends just insisted on seeing the worst in him. And maybe not all their prejudices on Ty were necessarily untrue… they just so happened to be mostly true but just put into the wrong context! Just because Ty was a partier didn't mean that _that_ was the only reason he was tolerating Amy.

And so she didn't do anything extreme as they flew by the Durango, it wasn't as though she even had time to do more then wave and laugh. They passed the other can her family was using before they got back onto the right side of the road.

Amy was entirely convinced that they reached The Scottsdale Princess much too fast. Ty and Mick offered to come in to keep her company while she waited but Amy told them to just leave, it would be safer that way. She was fairly certain that Tim really did not need anymore encouraging to call the police.

It turned out that Amy didn't even need to wait long before her family and friends got back. She briefly considered hiding from them and settled on going up to her room. She wasn't technically hiding, she could be found at anytime.

She was found quite fast in fact.

Tim threw the door to her room open, several of the braver members of his group standing out in the hallway.

Amy slowly got up off of the couch and faced her dad.

"I don't know what you think you are doing here, Amy, but it is, quite frankly, shocking," Tim began. Amy shifted her weight from foot to foot as she listened to her father. "When we got here three weeks ago you were the daughter I had always known but you found that boy and I'm afraid that he's been a bad influence on you! I don't even know you anymore, Amy."

"Dad," Amy began slowly in a calm voice. "I haven't done anything wrong. I just—"

"Haven't done anything wrong?" Tim near howled. "Is that really what you think? So just disappearing and disobeying direct orders are doing nothing wrong?"

"All I've wanted since the accident is to find Ty," Amy defended herself. "And now I have. So what if he was different at first? He may not be exactly the same even now but he's still my friend and there's nothing you can do to stop him from being my friend!"

"That boy—" Tim began but Amy cut him off.

"That _boy_ has a name, dad. It's Ty and you know it."

"Fine," Tim said, "Ty then. Ty has some serious work to do on his morals and you do not need to be with him at this time. You are still a minor and I intend to protect you."

"Protect me from what, dad? Just because Ty may have some of his priorities mixed doesn't mean he's a bad influence or that he wants to hurt me. Ty's only been nice to me," she chose to forget about before and concentrated on the present. "He's only tried to protect me if I needed it," Amy remembered Ty's anger at the way Tony had spoken to her the previous night.

"And why would you need his protection?" Amy looked down at the ground; she knew she couldn't answer that question. "You would not even have been in need of protection if you hadn't been with him!"

"Anytime that I was in danger, and I never was really in danger," Amy quickly added at the look on her dads' face, "was because it was I that insisted that I go with Ty wherever he was going. You can't blame everything on him when it's more my fault. I've done everything I have done by choice."

"Do you know what that boy could do to you, Amy?"

Amy ignored the fact that her dad had called Ty 'that boy' again because the implications of his words made her blush and look at him furiously. "I know what he could do to me, dad, but he hasn't and never will do anything like that to me unless I agree." Amy's words caused an awkward silence as Tim tried to think of something to say. "What do you think he's going to do to me, dad?" Amy continued with a harsh laugh. "Drug and rape me? Well guess what? He hasn't, he's never even tried anything like that. We've kissed once and that was only when _I_ kissed _him_!" Amy clamped her mouth shut, horrified that she had just admitted that.

"I don't know where this new attitude has come from, Amy," Tim warned her, choosing not to comment on her previous statement, "but I can, however, assure you that it will not go unnoticed. You are on punishment until we get back home and you will be there too! For the remanded of our time in Arizona you will never be without the company of at least two people. You will not see that boy again."

"Do you think you can stop me from seeing him, dad?"

"I will also be confiscating your cell phone until further notice," Tim finished.

"What?" Amy gasped in shock. "You can't do that!"

"I can because I am your father and I most certainly will. Now give it to me," Tim held out his hand expectantly.

Amy yanked her phone out of her shorts pocket and slammed it into his opened palm. "There. Are you happy now?"

"I will be happier once we are back home and I have almost the whole country between you and that boy."

**a/n: **told you it was bad! Oh well, this past week has been crazy… well, horrible and I'm just glad my mom is coming home today. I wanted to post before she got back so that's why it's kind of rushed. Hope it was kind of okay though. REVIEW! -Steph


	19. Time of Your Life

**Authors Note—**

So I decided to finally finish this story since there are only (I think) two chapters left (or one after this one). I'll let you know at the end of this chapter. And yes this chapter will include the wedding (I think). So basically you just have to read the chapter to find out what happens… since I clearly have no idea… :)

Review!

xoSteph

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Heartland… that belongs to Lauren Brooke. I do, however, own this story.

**The Peak**

**Chapter 19— The Time Of Your Life **

_Friday, April fourteenth, 2006_

There were so many things that Amy wanted to say to her father as she stared at his back as they looked over SASSI one last time before Lou and Scott's big day. So many things yet she knew she'd never say any of them. Despite her recent rebellious streak she was still a good girl at heart. She'd never be like Ty.

The heat was nearing the intensity of the midday sun and Amy was beginning to wish that she hadn't worn jeans. She'd gotten the top right: a black, lacey tank top (she thought it fit her mood) but the jeans were a mistake.

The sky was clear and blue and without a single little cloud for as far as she could see. The sun shone bright in the sky and she couldn't look at it without getting little blurry spots in front of her eyes. The weather would be good for Lou's wedding tomorrow.

They soon left SASSI and after a quick lunch Lou and Helena took a group to the Herd Museum while Tim took Amy, Jack, Soraya, Matt, Joni, and Tom back to the Scottsdale Princess.

Soraya, Matt, Joni and Tom quickly fled to the pools and Jack said he was going back to his room to rest—he wasn't terribly fond of the heat. Amy trudged back up to her room and quickly shook off her jeans and put on a pair of pajama pants.

She settled on the couch and prepared to turn on the TV to wallow in her own misery and poor fortune when the door opened. She looked up and promptly shut off the TV when she saw her father walking into the room. She settled for hugging a pillow to her chest, resting her chin on her knees and staring out of the window.

Tim sat on a chair across from his daughter and regarded her thoughtfully for a second. "I think we need to talk, Amy," he said eventually.

Amy sighed. "I know," she admitted. "I'm sorry, dad," she went on without taking her eyes away from the window. "I don't know what got into me but I shouldn't have acted like I did. I'm sorry."

Tim leaned back in his chair. "I don't know what got into you either, Amy. You've always been so good and inline with what you were supposed to do and—"

"Maybe I don't want to be the kind of person that always does what they're supposed to every minute of the day. I've learned that it is much more fun to act more spontaneous."

"That is exactly why I did not want that _boys_ influence on you. All he's done is—"

"His name is Ty, dad," Amy interrupted once again. "And I really wish you would stop saying that he's this bad influence because he really isn't," she knew it was vague but what was she _supposed_ to tell her father?

"He drinks, he parties, he gambles, he races cars, he's comes home at noon after being out all night. Amy," Tim laughed dryly, "that is exactly what I would call a bad influence."

"He's not a bad guy, dad," Amy finally looked at her father. "Sure, maybe he's a little wild but he's not how you think he is. He likes to have a good time."

"His way of finding a good time is not something that I want impressed upon my daughter."

"I can make my own decisions for myself, dad."

"I know you can," Tim said simply. "Your mind just seems to be rather fogged when that boy—excuse me, Ty—is around you."

Amy blushed and picked at the pillow she still held to her chest. "Ty was my best friend for a long time… in a different way then Soraya ever was. I mean, we worked together and all and I could talk to him about the horses but he seemed to really understand me. He was there for me in some hard times. We always had fun together. I didn't think I'd ever see him again after the accident—I thought he was dead. I did wish that someday I would find him though. I've finally found him and, yeah, sure, maybe he's changed a little…" she caught the look Tim was giving her and amended her statement with an eye roll added for good measure, "… or a lot but he's still Ty and you can't expect me to just give him up after everything."

"You're not fourteen anymore, Amy, you're almost seventeen and you're a very pretty girl. I've gathered what part of Ty's reputation is and I just don't want you in any danger," Tim said seriously.

Amy smiled. "Ty would never hurt me, dad," she assured him confidently.

"How do you know that, kiddo? Sometimes it's the nicest guys who end up…"

"He's already proved that he'll protect me if I'm in danger," Amy said without thinking.

Tim furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

Amy paused for a brief moment. "I can't tell you. If I do then you'll tell someone like Ty's parents and someway or another, the police will get involved and then Ty will hate me."

Tim shook his head and sighed in fatigue. "Tell me what you are talking about, Amy. If you were in danger in anyway then I think I deserve to know!"

"I wasn't in any danger, dad. Ty protected me," she said simply yet firmly.

"You should not have been put in any situation that was dangerous for you in the first place!" Tim's temper rose.

"I wasn't _put_ into any situation, dad," Amy tried to keep he temper as she looked out of the window. "I went with Ty on my own will… in fact, I made him take me! So any danger I was in was entirely my fault so don't blame him for it!"

Tim sighed deeply and rubbed his eyes wearily with his hands. "Lou had to pick Arizona," he mumbled almost incoherently.

Amy heard it though and it just served to make her mad. "Lou had _no idea_ Ty was here when she and Scott chose to have their wedding here. It's not her fault either. If you and everyone else would just stop criticizing Ty for two seconds you'd see that he isn't such a bad guy! He's a lot like he was before the accident… he just doesn't let a lot of people see that. But he's let _me_ see that. And, anyways, who's to say that he wouldn't be just like he is now if the accident had never happened? All he did was grow up, dad. He could be the same way even if he still was living in Virginia and had never had the accident or lost his memory. But, you know, it all did happen and he did get his memory back and guess what? He's still the same. Underneath everything that you have seen he is still the Ty he used to be," Amy took a deep breath and paused her impassioned speech. Tim didn't speak so Amy continued before the adrenaline wore off. "Whether you like it or not, Ty is my _friend_ and he will be my friend until I decided otherwise."

"He is not the kind of guy you will be able to depend on later in life," Tim said.

Amy looked out the window again. "I never said I was going to marry the guy but I think I'll be the judge of that. He's a smart guy and he has a lot of talent."

"Why do you defend him?" Tim asked after a minute or two of silence had passed.

Amy sighed and briefly thought over the answers she could give. She decided to be at least somewhat honest with her dad. "Because he deserves it," she said simply. "Because he hasn't done anything wrong. So his personality isn't exactly up to your standards but _so what_? We can't always help the people we become… wasn't it you that once told me that?"

Tim grinned wryly at his daughter and Amy allowed the corners of her lips to tug upwards. "Using my own words against me now eh, Ames?"

Amy shrugged. She knew everything was okay now but she felt that there was still more she had to say. "I'm sorry for disobeying you and for everything I did yesterday and the day before that and everything. I'm sorry for what I did to you and to everyone else but I'm not sorry for what I did. I'm not asking for your approval," she added warningly.

"I know. And I appreciate the apology but you're not off the hook yet, kiddo. Let's just try to get through tomorrow without any more of your dramatics and we'll discuss your appropriate punishment when Lou and Scott leave for their honeymoon."

Tim stood up and kissed Amy on top of her head. "I guess you had to grow up sometime, too, didn't you, kiddo?" he said somewhat wistfully.

"It's practically inevitable," Amy joked as she hugged her dad.

Tim stepped back and smiled down at her. "You did good, Ames. You've got a good head on your shoulders and I'll just have trust you to use it well."

Amy smiled but didn't reply. She didn't know _what_ to say in reply.

Tim turned to leave the room and was halfway out the door before he stopped and turned back around.

"I think you owe some other people some apologies, too," he said and Amy looked up at him. "They're down at the pool," and, with that, Tim closed the door.

Amy sighed but knew that her dad was right. She hadn't been fair to her friends the past couple of days. She quickly changed into a bathing suit, grabbed a towel and stuffed her feet into her flip flops before heading out to the pool.

The pool was outside and huge. The water glistened invitingly in the bright sunshine. The lawns around the pool were immaculately kept and there were several tennis courts. The pool was surrounded by lounge chairs—many of which held men and women and alike tanning. Amy walked by them all to the corner of the pool where she could see Soraya, Joni, Matt and Tom. They were in the pool and were tossing a ball back and forth over a net.

Amy dropped her towel, shorts and sandals on an empty lounge chair and walked quietly to the edge of the pool.

"Hey, guys," she said to gather their attention. They all turned and looked up at her. Amy shifted, slightly uncomfortable under their expressions. "Do you mind if I join you?"

There was a moment of silence as the four friends in the pool tried to decide whether or not their friend was back.

Soraya was the one who finally spoke up. "Yeah! Come and join our team," she pointed to herself and then to Joni.

"Yeah," Joni seconded with a grin. "We're totally killing the guys in volleyball."

Amy joined in their laughter and jumped into the pool. The coolness of the water enveloped her body and she felt at ease. She waded over to Joni and Soraya and quickly joined in on the playful banter.

Even though she hadn't actually said anything Amy knew that she was forgiven. And that was the greatest part about having friends like she did—she didn't even have to plead or beg for forgiveness... even though she knew that she probably should have had to.

--+--

_Saturday, April fifteen, 2006_

Ty wandered into his kitchen around noon on Saturday. His parents were seated at the kitchen table enjoying coffee, muffins and morning paper. Lee looked like he was asleep on one of the island stools. His head was in his arms and a there was a forgotten bagel and cream cheese in front of him.

Brad heard Ty entering the kitchen and peered at his son over the top of his paper. "What are you doing up so early, Ty?" Brad joked. "I'd have expected you to be asleep for a good three hours more after I heard you coming in this morning at two."

Ty didn't say anything. He just continued on his way to the fridge but shut it once he decided that he wasn't hungry.

"So are you going to tell us where you were or are we going to have to find out from someone else?" Brad pressed on.

"I was out," Ty said simply.

"The last time you were out you ended up in the hospital in a coma."

Ty grinned wryly. "Well I'm not in the hospital now am I? So just let it go. It's no big deal."

Jane set down her magazine and looked at Ty. "It is a big deal now, Ty. You're going to be going off to college in August—if you can manage to get yourself into shape before then."

Ty snorted. "ASU's already accepted me."

"Only just barely, Ty," Jane warned him. "Do you think you're going to last in that school if you continue to slack off and not do your schoolwork?"

"I got in didn't I?"

"You did but only because of outstandingly high SAT scores and a half scholarship for football. You have to keep a good grade point average in that school."

Ty leaned against the counter. "Yeah, so you've said it all before."

"But you've never listened before," Brad said.

"College kids party, too, you know," Ty pointed out.

"Yes," Jane agreed, "they do. But not as much as you party now."

Brad jumped in before Ty could say anything and had to settle with a glare. "We've let you alone for the past few years, Ty. We hoped that you'd shape up on your own but that obviously isn't the case. You have a week to get yourself into line, Ty, before we take stricter actions."

"Whatever." Ty turned to leave the room. "I'm going out."

"If you don't do it for yourself, Ty," Jane said after Ty's back. Ty froze in the doorway, "then do it for your brother. He looks up to you, whether you believe it or not. You're his big brother. I don't want him to lapse into your behaviors."

Ty continued on his way up the stairs and to his room. He got dressed quickly, grabbed his keys and stuffed a worn navy baseball cap with a dark green rim on his head.

"Ty, come in here for a moment!" Jane called from in the kitchen. Ty's hand slid off of the doors handle and he stomped into the kitchen.

"What?"

Jane turned around from where she was standing at the counter. She picked up a card and handed it to him. "I thought you might want this."

"What is this?" Ty asked in disgust as he fingered the off white card that had an olive green ribbon tied around it.

"Open it," Jane said simply as she continued to sort through the rest off the papers on the counter.

Ty flipped the card over and quickly read it.

_All you need is Love…_

Please share our happiness at our wedding

_Lou Fleming_

And

_Scott Trewin _

Saturday, April 15, 2006

12:30 in the afternoon

Ristorante SASSI

10455 East Pinnacle Peak Parkway

Scottsdale, Arizona

Lunch reception will follow ceremony

Ty glanced at the clock—12:41.

"So? What about it? You don't actually expect me to go do you?"

"I'd would be nice of you," Jane said thoughtfully.

Ty tapped his finger against the card. "I don't think I'm exactly welcomed there," he said with a hint of humor in his voice and the corners of his lips tugged up in a small smile.

Jane looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing," Ty said. "It doesn't matter. I'm not going though."

"It's your choice, Ty."

Ty stuffed the card into his back pocket and walked out of the house. He got into his Ferrari and gunned out of the driveway and down the street. He was shot some nasty looks as he spun into the parking lot a Pinnacle Peak. He didn't care though. They were just tourists. Ty _hated_ tourists.

"Yo, Ty!" Mick called out. Ty quickly spotted Mick and the rest of the guys and headed over to them. Ty sat down on the stone bench. They recounted memories of the party they'd been at the night/morning previous until Mick spoke up quite randomly—in Ty's opinion at least.

He'd been watching Ty since he got there with an odd expression and finally had to say something. "Um, yeah, Ty, why do you have a ribbon hanging out of your back pocket?" he rubbed the back of his neck.

Ty seemed unfazed. "Why were you looking at my butt?"

Mick rolled his eyes. "Don't get any ideas," he warned Ty. "It's just kind of hard not to notice when a guy is walking around with a shinny piece of paper and a ribbon hanging on his butt. That's how you raise some questions regarding your sexuality."

"I think it should be I telling you to not get any ideas," Ty drawled. He pulled the wedding invitation out of his pocket and tossed it onto the table in front of them.

Mick snatched it up eagerly and quickly scanned its contents. "What the hell is this?" he paused for a second before his eyes widened in realization. "Oh. I get it. So are you going?"

"No."

"Then why is it in your pocket?" Mick challenged.

Ty shrugged his broad shoulders. "Because my mom made me take it."

"You should go."

"Not gonna happen," Ty leaned back.

"Why not?"

"Well for starters I don't think I'm particularly welcomed there and—"

"Amy would want you to be there," Mick winked suggestively at Ty.

"So?" Ty said even though he sat up a little bit straighter. "She's a friend but that doesn't mean that I should go to her sisters wedding. I don't care about her family."

"But you care about her," Mick filled in.

"Are you still high or something?" Ty asked. "She is so not my type."

"Maybe she is your type," Mick said cryptically.

Ty furrowed his eyebrows. "I just said that she wasn't."

"Maybe the girls you've been with haven't been your type but Amy really is." Ty was about to deny it so Mick kept on going. "You like her, I know you do so don't try to tell me any differently," Mick held up his finger. "You so clearly like her and she likes you but she's about to go back to the east coast—which I just found out is, like, three thousand miles away—so you had better go to this wedding."

Ty was silent. He stared at Mick and Mick seemed to come of his high for the moment and he slumped forward and dropped his head into his arms. "Oh god," he muttered in what appeared to be pain, "I sound like my _mom_."

That just sent Ty and the rest of the guys howling in laughter.

Mick finally regained himself and sat up. He blinked a few times in a daze. "Wow. That must really have been some stuff last night… I could have sworn that I just said—"

"I got it the first time, Mick, so don't hurt yourself by saying it again," Ty managed to say through his laughter.

Mick's face fell slightly but then he seemed to perk up again. "So are you going to go?"

"Besides the fact that it is now," Ty quickly checked his watch, "1:17 and it started at 12:30? No."

"Well the ceremony will be over and that's always the most boring part and it said they were going to have a lunch thing so you could go for that," Mick suggested. He passed the card around to the rest of the guys and they started to look less confused.

"I'm not hungry."

"Well then don't eat," Mick shot back.

Ty sighed. He was clearly running out of argument and he could see it. "I'm not exactly dressed for a wedding."

"Then go home and put on a tux."

"Besides the fact that it is entirely too hot to wear a tux… I lost mine… at that stupid Christmas Ball for my dads firm that we were at."

Mick shook it off with a wave of his hand. "Oh yeah. Mine went MIA the year before. But go as you are. I mean, you like to piss people off, right? And I know you hate this girls family so you'll gain some points for yourselves there. And it's right over there," Mick gestured wildly to the left side of Pinnacle Peak. "You can't not go."

"Well I'm not going."

Mick thought for a moment before he came up with a new idea. "Well then I'll go for you."

"What?"

"I think I owe Missy a visit since the last time we spoke she, in no uncertain terms, said she'd hunt me down and kill me. I think we need to resolve our little difference so I'm going to go and see her and if, by chance, I see Amy then I'll tell her that you're a big, stupid coward."

"Big, stupid coward?" Ty laughed hysterically. "I've been called a lot of things but that is a new one."

Mick shrugged. "But I need you to give me a ride since I don't have my car."

"I saw your Vet in the lot," Ty said.

"Well… yeah. But you still want to give me a ride."

"I do?"

"Yes."

"Well then."

"Yes, because if you don't give me a ride then I'm going to accidentally total your Ferrari."

Ty's eyes shot open. "You wouldn't dare."

"Oh contraire," Mick adopted a very bad French accent and wiggled his eyebrows in a very queer way… Ty wasn't quite sure why he did any of that but let it all go.

Ty's eyes narrowed. "Fine. Come on." He stood up and stalked back to the parking lot. He got into the drivers seat and Mick bounded into the passenger seat looking very pleased with himself.

"You didn't get any last night did you?" Ty asked as he swung out of his parking spot and almost mowed over a couple of hikers. He ignored the things they yelled at him and continued on his way out of the parking lot without taking anyone out.

"I'm just happy because I get to see my loverly Missy again!" Mick sang out.

"You didn't get any last night," Ty rephrased.

"Speak for yourself, my friend."

Ty rolled his eyes but didn't say anything.

The pulled into SASSI's parking lot a few minutes later and Ty quickly parked his Ferrari before both he and Mick got out and walked towards SASSI.

They had just entered the small courtyard with the fountain when Mick called out, "Oh, Missy!" in a very sing-song like voice. Missy, who had been hurrying along the walkway near the restaurant looked up and smiled when she saw Ty and Mick.

Missy hurried over to the two boys as fast as she could in her heels and skirt. She was wearing a black, knee length, A-line skirt with a light pink blouse and a pair of high black heels. She dropped her leather folder on the edge of the fountain and hugged them both—she even gave Mick a kiss on his cheek which sent Mick grinning like a little kid on Christmas but in Ty's eyes it only proved that his friend hadn't gotten any the night before.

"I knew you'd get him to come," Missy praised Mick with a smile in Ty's direction.

Mick shrugged. "I only remember because he had the invitation in his pocket."

Ty quickly grasped what was going on. "So I take it there were no death threats."

"Oh no," Missy said sweetly. "There were death threats. I told him I'd hunt him down and kill him if he didn't get you here. You're a bit late and not dressed entirely appropriately but you look hot all the same."

"I'm not going to that wedding," Ty warned her.

Missy shrugged. "Well the ceremony's over and they're just having lunch and cake and dancing and stuff out in the back so it's not really a wedding anymore." Ty raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Think of it as a party," Missy advised him. "You do good with those."

"I'm not going," Ty repeated stubbornly.

Missy dismissed Ty's words with a shake of her hand. "At least go back and say hi. Amy looks hot."

"And why does everyone seem to think I care about her?"

"Because you do," Missy said simply.

"That's exactly what I told him, Miss, but he didn't listen," Mick shook his head.

Ty looked at Mick. "You know what? I think I agree with you. That must have been some strong stuff last night because this day is totally fucked up. And why are you acting queerer then you usually are?" Ty demanded.

"Someone's a bit PMS-y today," Mick whispered to Missy and Missy giggled.

"I think I'm going to go now…"

Missy grabbed Ty's arm before he could leave. "Come on. Mick has told me about the two of you and I seriously suggest you get out of this denial of yours because she's flying back across the country on Monday."

"I knew there was a reason why I didn't want to get up this morning," Ty muttered as he pushed a hand through his hair before stuffing his baseball hat back on.

Missy grabbed his arm and dragged him to the huge doors that led to the back of SASSI where the wedding reception would be going on. Normally Ty wouldn't have let anyone pull him anywhere but he had learned that it was better not to mess with a woman who was wearing heels even half as intense as Missy's were.

Missy opened one of the doors and pushed Ty through them. "Knock her dead, lover boy," she joked. Missy paused a moment before grabbing Ty's hat.

"Hey!"

Missy hit him on the arm. "You have great hair, hot stuff, so work it while you still have it."

Ty shook his hair around with a grin.

"Sexy," Missy said just before she disappeared back through the double doors and they closed securely behind her.

Ty turned around and glanced over the wedding. Stairs led down to a fair sized lawn. There were about eight circular tables spread out on once side and each table had a big flower centerpiece. There was a bar behind the tables and a small band in one corner. The band was playing traditional wedding music that made Ty feel slightly nauseous. There was also a makeshift dance floor on the grass and was crowded with people dancing. Several people lingered at the tables, chatting with friends and family and finishing their lunches.

Ty turned back around and glanced remorsefully at the door. Knowing Missy and Mick he could have guessed that they were both behind the door building up some makeshift barricade and giggling. Normally he would only have attributed the giggling to Missy's role but he wasn't quite sure that day.

As Ty headed down the stairs—after seeing that he had no other choice—he looked around for Amy. He finally found her sitting alone at a table, slumped in a chair and twirling her long hair around her finger. She was wearing a soft pink silk dress that ended around her knees and she was wearing a pair of black flip-flops.

Ty smiled a little and walked more purposefully down the stairs. Maybe Missy and Mick weren't so far off after all.

--+--

It would have been wrong to say that she was miserable—which she wasn't—but Amy clearly wasn't sky high. Sure she was happy for her sister and for Scott but it just seemed liked everyone had paired off once the dancing had started and she'd been left alone.

She's waited in vain for Ty to come all through the ceremony but had finally resigned to the knowledge that he wasn't going to come. She couldn't blame him though.

She'd felt stupid having her hair and face done up by the makeup artist Lou had hired for the day. But she did it because Lou had wanted her to. And the dress Lou had chosen for Amy to wear wasn't actually bad; it was light pink silk with a fitted bodice and waist but the skirt fluttered loosely to her knees. The fabric at the top part was gathered and dipped down a bit and the dress had skinny little straps. She'd been wearing a pair of heels but they had hurt her fit so, once she had Lou's permission of course, she darted back to where they had gotten ready and put on a pair of flip-flops.

The ceremony had been beautiful and everything went just as it was supposed to. Seeing Lou so happy made Amy happy.

Amy had stayed behind at her table after all her friends had jumped up to go and dance. She played with hair—braiding and re-braiding one little part of it.

Out of the corner of her eye Amy thought she saw someone walking towards her but she didn't pay any attention until the person was standing right next to her.

"Hey," a deep, and slightly amused, masculine voice said.

Amy looked up slowly and was more then a little shocked to see Ty standing there—in jeans and a t-shirt but Ty nevertheless—and grinning down at her.

Amy dropped her hair in mid-braid and sat up straighter. "What are you doing here?" she blurted out. Ty looked confused for a second and Amy immediately corrected herself. "I mean, I thought you said you weren't going to come."

"I wasn't," Ty said simply.

"Oh."

"But somewhere amidst the death threats and threats of totaling my car I ended up here," he shrugged. Amy thought he was joking but he looked serious enough. She giggled a little bit in a manner that was beginning to happen more frequently whenever she was in Ty's company. She met Ty's eyes briefly—the emerald orbs she saw were bright—but she had to look away.

Ty sat in the empty chair on Amy's left side and Amy turned back to him. She ran her eyes over his attire once and laughed as she shook her head. "Nice outfit."

Ty shrugged. "I would have changed but I… mis_placed_ my tux and it's kind of hot for a suit." Amy nodded. It was a warm day and most of the guys had already shed their jackets and ties and rolled their dress shirt sleeves up to their elbows.

"Doesn't matter to me but are you trying to give my dad a heart attack?"

Ty grinned back at her. "Well…"

"Actually, don't answer that," Amy said with a smile.

Ty laughed and Amy realized with a start that she loved the sound. Ty quickly glanced around. "Speaking of your dad," he began, "is he going to be bringing out the shotgun because I'm here or anything?"

Amy shook her head. "I talked to him. It took a lot of convincing but he'll leave you alone. He still doesn't like you though," she added just incase Ty was getting any ideas.

Ty didn't really seem fazed by her warning. "A lot of parents don't like me."

"Well maybe if you—" Amy started to suggest but Ty saw where she was going and immediately stopped her.

He held up his hand. "Don't even go there. I've already gotten the lecture from my parents today and I don't need it from you." His voice was a bit harsher then he had meant it to be.

Amy blushed a light pink and glanced over her shoulder at Pinnacle Peak. She pretended to be fascinated with something in the mountains general direction so she didn't see Ty's eyes on her.

--+--

Mick and Missy watched Ty and Amy's whole exchange from up above the wedding reception on the terrace. They had snuck out of the doors when Ty's back had been turned to them and they were currently peeking—quite surreptitiously—around a heater that was obviously not in use. Needless to say, the heater was not nearly wide enough to obscure even half of Missy's body but they didn't much care.

They frowned when Amy turned away from Ty. They waited for Ty to make some kind effort to talk to her but he just sat there as Amy looked intently off at the mountains.

"Do you think we should help them?" Mick was already devising ways that he could help the pair—most of which involved some sort of object falling on them or perhaps a streaker…

Missy shook her head and took Mick's arm and led him away to go see if there was any food leftover in the kitchens. "No. They'll work it out. Just give them a chance."

**a/n: **one more chapter! Review! -Steph


	20. Happily Ever After Kind Of

**Authors Note—**

Fly Eagles Fly, On The Road To Victory.  
Fight Eagles Fight, Score A Touchdown 1-2-3.

Hit 'Em Low.  
Hit 'Em High.  
And We'll Watch Our Eagles Fly.

Fly Eagles Fly, On The Road To Victory. 

E-A-G-L-E-S, EAGLES!!!

Here's the last chapter. It's a miracle I made it through the Eagles vs. Giants game. I was feeling a little sick in the seconds before Akers took the final field goal attempt. I'm never ever EVER taking his jersey off. He's AMAZING. So I dedicate my name change to the great man himself… DAVID AKERS!!!!

Steph

**Disclaimer: **everything recognizable belongs to Lauren Brooke.

The Peak

Chapter 20—Happily Ever After… Kinda

_Sunday, April 16, 2006 _

"Let's go," Ty said impatiently.

Amy hurried after him but tripped over some rocks and had to grab his arm to keep from falling over. "Can't you slow down?" she complained as she completely righted herself. She pulled back on his arm so he was forced to slow down until Amy could walk by his side.

"Now tell me again where we're going," Amy said.

"I never told you," Ty grinned.

"Well can't you tell me now?" Amy complained. "I mean," she said as she side stepped a particularly nasty looking Teddy Bear Cactus, "tell me why you insisted on coming here today and why we left the trail."

Ty didn't say anything, just grinned again and kept walking.

Amy groaned. "Oh come _on_!"

"Patience," Ty said. "You'll find out soon."

"I don't _have _any patience," Amy retorted.

"Well then you can work on getting some until we get where I'm taking you."

Amy rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at Ty. Ty laughed and shook his head before draping his arm across her shoulders. Amy couldn't help the small shiver of happiness that tingled down her spine.

"You're not _cold_, are you?" Ty asked incredulously, having felt the small shiver.

"No," Amy said with a big smile plastered across her face. She didn't elaborate at Ty's questioning gaze.

They were at Pinnacle Peak, off the trails and going up, that's all Amy knew. That and that Ty was just being downright annoying… for the most part.

"You know I only have a couple hours before my dad totally flips and I have to go home, right?"

"Uh huh."

"Okay."

Ty jumped up onto a large rock before turning around and offering his hand to Amy to help pull her up.

"Is this where we're going?" she asked hopefully, not used to the intense Arizona sun and the workout.

"Nope."

Amy groaned again and considered just sitting down and refusing to go any further. But a glance at Ty's arms convinced her others wise… well, that and the fact that she was kind of, sort of interested in where he was taking her.

"Well we're almost there, right?" she couldn't help but asking.

Ty looked at her and laughed. "Yes," he said. "We're almost there."

"Good."

Ty laughed once again and Amy narrowed her eyes.

Ty noticed the look that was directed at him. "What?"

"Why does _every_one laugh at me?" Amy whined.

Ty laughed again but once again caught Amy's look and stopped. "I'm not laughing _at_ you," he assured her.

"Well you're definitely not laughing with me since I'm not laughing."

"You see?" Ty said suddenly. "You're so different from every other girl I've met."

Amy was silent for a moment, trying to decide whether that comment was a compliment or an insult. Amy didn't know, but she was leaning more towards the insult part. It wasn't that she thought Ty was insulting her so much as the realization that she really _wasn't_ like any other girl he'd been with.

"Um," she said unsurely, "thank you?" she guessed.

"No," Ty said. "That's not how I meant it."

"Uh, okay."

"I _meant_ that you're just different from every other girl."

"Well I already got that that's what you think."

Ty was silent for a moment. He walked a little faster and, with a sigh, Amy lengthened her stride to catch up with him. She was so concentrated on the catching-up-with-Ty-thing that she hadn't been expecting him to just _stop_ and she walked right into his back.

Ty took a step back and pulled Amy up to his side. "We're here," he said.

Amy looked out around them, a smart and witty comment on the tip of her tongue but it was completely lost to her as she actually saw where they were: somewhere on the back of Pinnacle Peak where there were no trails or other people in sight. They were close to the top of the mountain and they looked out on a spotless, perfectly green gold course and several homes on the back of the mountain. The best part, though, was that even though there were still homes and buildings visible in the distance the land just seemed to go on and on forever before more mountains took over again.

"Wow," Amy said as she sat down on a rock behind her. "It's really pretty."

Ty sat down next to her and rested his hands on his knees. "Yeah, it is, isn't it?" he said. "I come here a lot... when I don't want to be around anyone else… to just think and stuff."

Amy cocked her head to the side as she watched Ty. "You do?"

"Yeah." Then he laughed again but Amy knew that he wasn't laughing at her now. "No one would believe me; they'd think that I was up here doing something else so I've never brought anyone up here or anything."

"Really?" Amy smiled.

"Yeah…" Ty said, just staring at Amy. "Oh no," he held up his hands palm forward in front of his chest. "I don't _do _all that mushy stuff."

Amy's smile broadened as she leaned over and hugged Ty briefly.

"You do fine with 'all that mushy stuff'," she assured him.

Ty didn't bother with an answer and leaned back on his hands instead, his face tilted up towards the bright sun shinning in the cloudless sky.

Amy watched him thoughtfully for a couple seconds before leaning back as well. She scooted closer to Ty and leaned against his chest. Ty's arm snaked around her waist and held her closer to him.

Amy smiled as she leaned her head back against his shoulder. His arms were strong and muscled and gave you every right to be intimidated of him and his large, muscular build. But to Amy, they only felt safe and secure and she loved when she was in his arms.

She didn't know how she'd survive when she went home later in the day, no clear date of when she'd see him again. She didn't peg Ty as the long distance relationship kind of guy but she hoped he'd give it a try. It might be hard given Ty's history, but Amy trusted him to not hurt her. He'd already proven on more then one occasion his feelings for her. Amy would just have to see how strong they were.

"I don't want to leave," she said softly, her voice breaking through the silence.

Ty looked down at her and rubbed her back to try and ease her distressed expression. "I'm out of school in a few months," he said. "It won't be that long."

"Do you really think that?" Amy asked dubiously.

"Well," Ty smiled down at her, his emerald eyes twinkling, "we'll make it work, right?"

"I hope," Amy mumbled.

"Come on," Ty said in an attempt to cheer her up. "It'll fly by… or not," he amended himself as he saw Amy's face.

Amy sighed, dropping the conversation. They'd had it before and it never ended up going anywhere. Maybe sometimes you just had to trust fate to work everything out right. But Amy wasn't so eager to put her life in the hands of something she wasn't even sure existed.

"Hey," Ty said suddenly. "Come on, there's something else I want to show you."

"What?" Amy's eyes widened as Ty pulled her to her feet. "We just got here! I do _not_ want to repeat that walk," she whined.

"Oh come on, it's not that bad," Ty laughed.

"Easy for you to say," Amy huffed. "You do this on a regular basis."

She followed him in the end though. There was never any thought in her mind that would have led her to act differently.

But to appease her, Ty held on to her hand the whole time, even though it made his own walk more difficult at times. Just as long as he didn't fall and take them both down the mountain then there was nothing to be worried.

Amy was sweating more then she would have liked once they made it to the top of a particularly steep incline and was thankful that she hadn't forgotten the deodorant that morning. The smell of BO was the way to turn a guy off.

Ty stepped over the low, stone wall that they'd reached at the top of the incline first before hauling Amy over. Amy, though she rode rigorously everyday for multiple hours, wasn't one for hiking and the trek across the unmarked and un-pathed mountain face was tiring in a new way for her.

"This better be good," Amy grumbled as she stumbled and righted herself by grabbing onto Ty's arm.

Ty's arm slipped around her waist to support her. He chuckled, having heard Amy's low words. "It will be," he assured her for at least the second time that afternoon. He'd past with flying colors the first time but Amy would just have to see about this time.

Amy looked up and took in her surroundings. They were in one of the rest areas right off the main trail. Amy recognized it from her first trip to Pinnacle Peak in the beginning of her stay—the same hike that led to her believing that this Ty was actually Ty Baldwin. She'd always like Pinnacle Peak from now on… though the hiking side of things was up in air.

The people in the rest area were staring at them. Ty ignored them all and led Amy forwards. Amy, on the other hand, wasn't used to a lot of attention focused on her at any given time and blushed, looking down that the dirt beneath her sneakers.

Ty stopped by a large boulder across the path and pointed down. Amy followed his finger to a large, sprawling, ranch style house with stone paved driveways, spotless green grass and a pool glistening with bright blue water. It looked clear, cool and inviting. Amy could have taken a swim then.

"That's my house," Ty said.

"Oh." Amy tried to figure out just why she was looking at in.

Ty laughed and rubbed her shoulder. "Do you see the pool?" Amy nodded. "And the mural in the bottom?"

"Oh!" Amy said, looking closer and clearly seeing the tile mural of running horse in the dusky and bright desert colors shimmering through the clear blue of the water. She hadn't noticed it before. It had been too dark that one time she'd been in the pool with Ty and, quite frankly, there had been other things on her mind then her surrounds at the time.

She waited for Ty to explain why he was showing her the galloping horses on the bottom of his pool silently, figuring that he would tell her when he was ready. And, truth be told, Amy was in no hurry. She enjoyed just being in Ty's company and she'd take every extra second with him she could get.

"Ever since we moved here, there's always been something about it that drew me to it," he said, his voice soft. "I can't explain it, though. But even before I remembered about… everything, I'd always just stare at it. My dad wanted to get it taken out but I wouldn't let him. It was like it was trying to tell me something but I just couldn't remember." He sounded mad at himself by the time he had finished.

"Hey," Amy said in alarm and stood in front of him, her hands firmly on his shoulders. "That's not your fault. Remember? You couldn't have controlled it."

"Yeah," Ty said, looking away from her intense eyes. "But whenever I looked at it, it was like there was something missing. Something that I was trying to find. Something that was just out of my grasp."

Amy smiled sadly. "You found it now, though, didn't you?" her voice was hopeful and her breath caught in her throat. This would be what it all came down to.

Ty slowly turned to look back down at her. His face was more serious then she'd ever seen it for five excruciatingly slow seconds. And then a slow smile lifted his lips in the corners and he reached up a hand to gently brush a strand of damp hair away from her eyes. Amy could have sworn her heart skipped a beat at the feel of his hands on her face.

"Yeah," he said in a soft voice and his face was suddenly closer to hers. "I think I really have." If Amy had had trouble breathing before then the feel of Ty's cool breath against her face stopped her breathing altogether, her heart going haywire in her chest.

And then he closed the distance in-between them and kissed her. His hand gently cupped the side of her face.

And it was just perfect.

It's was funny, the things that had happened in the short few weeks Amy had been in Scottsdale, Arizona. All Amy had thought when she had been coming was that she'd enjoy the sun with her friends and then celebrate her sisters wedding. Nowhere had she seen anything— _anything—_ that had happened to her.

But it wasn't _all_ bad… not at all. Not by a long shot.

Maybe her story wasn't exactly like they went in the fairy tails but it seemed that she'd really gotten her Happily Ever After… at least kind of.

**a/n: **not the greatest or the longest but I needed to get this finished already. REVIEW!! –Steph GO EAGLES!!!


	21. SEQUEL INFO!

**Authors Note—**

Okay, so… I've decided to do a sequel to TP!! I'm not going to write it until I'm done RS, WP and TUP, though. Here's just a little excerpt of two scenes that will be in it. It's just a rough copy and off course more detail and dialogue and all will be in the actual story but you'll get the idea.

Now, I just HAVE to give this story some dedications right now:

The SEXY DEVIL SMILIES!!

Tyler… my new best friend!!

Annette… for introducing me to the two above and for reading a summary for this story and a lot of others I have.

Shawna… for ALSO reading this summary and for inspiring me to write a sequel in her review. Those Ride A Horse (Save A Cowboy) lyrics really did the trick.

So, without further ado, here's the chapter!! Oh, and I'm working on RS, WP, BP and EB as we speak… or you read. Whatever.

Review!

Steph

Oh, silly me, I almost forgot: **GO EAGLES!!! E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!! **

**THE RIDGE**

**-EXCERPT-**

Ty slammed on the breaks of the Jeep. Mick reached out a hand to brace himself against the dashboard so he wouldn't fly forwards from the suddenly harsh movement.

The locked wheels sent up a shower of red dust and gravel and Ty leaped out of the opened door. Mick followed after a moment, swatting the dust away from his face as he followed Ty to the side of the road.

"Ty, man," Mick said as he stomped forwards, "what the hell was that for?"

Ty ignored Mick and continued forwards, peering out into the bright sunlight. He squinted, through the bright lighting and the dust, it was impossible to see what had captured Ty's attention. Mick sighed but followed Ty.

Ty was heading towards a group of large boulders and Mick could just see the form of a small, wooden structure and a fence behind the boulders.

Ty continued forwards purposefully.

He'd seen something that Mick hadn't.

Ty stopped in front of the wooden fence and looked around the small enclosure. There was a bit of hay in a corner, a wispy tree in the middle and a water trough that was mostly dried up. There was a small barn attached to the paddock and a rundown house nearby. There was nothing to indicate any sign of life nearby, the place had been abandoned several days ago, the garbage cans were overflowing with ripe garbage.

Ty leaped over the fence just as Mick came up behind him.

"What are you doing?" Mick called after Ty but, once again, Ty just ignored his friend. Mick leaned over the fence and watched.

Ty expertly made his way through the overgrown weeds and mounds of dirt to what had originally caught his eye. It was under the tree, he didn't know how he'd seen it but he had. It was a little colt, only a couple months old and curled up on the ground in the measly shade under the tree, its legs tucked underneath it and it's muzzle resting on the dirt.

Ty suddenly became unsure of himself but knelt down near the colts side.

He reached out a slow and tentative hand to brush the dusty blue roan coat of the colt. At first, his fingertips only grazed the colts weak coat but he slowly lowered his hand onto the little horses shoulder. The colts shoulder twitched in his ears flicked to the side. He lifted his small head up and his big, dark and innocent eyes opened and looked up at Ty.

"Ty, what are—" Mick stopped mid sentence as he looked down and saw the colt. "Oh."

Ty dug his phone out of his pocket and, through instinct, phone the number he wanted in the phonebook and pressed send.

-

"I'll get it!" Amy yelled out through the barns as the shrill ringing of the phone filtered out of the office. She jogged to the small office that was crammed with paper work, a desk and three chairs and dug under the paper for the phone.

"Hello," she answered breathlessly once she'd found the phone, "this is Heartland, Amy Fleming speaking."

"Amy!" The voice started speaking before she was even done giving her routine answer. The voice surprised her even more.

"Ty?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"Oh, hey," she responded warmly, realizing that she hadn't talked to him in a few days. "What's up?" She smiled, expecting a nice, easy conversation.

"Listen," Ty began seriously and Amy frowned. "Do you have any stalls free?"

"Um…" Amy blinked in confusion. "What?"

"Stalls," Ty repeated. "Do you have any free?"

"I don't know—"

"Just answer," Ty said impatiently.

"Yes," Amy said slowly. "Ty, what's going on?"

"Look," he began, "I'm out in… well, that doesn't really matter, but I found this little abandoned farm and there's this little horse in one of the fields."

"You did?" Amy asked dubiously. Amy fingered a piece of paper hanging off the edge of the desk.

"Yes," Ty said. "What am I supposed to do? I can't just leave him here."

Amy smiled despite herself, maybe the Old Ty wasn't so far lost as everyone thought. Sometimes he acted like the same compassionate guy.

"Okay," Amy said, turning all business, "how is the colt? Is he conscious? Lying down? What's the condition of the field he's in?" She started rattling off the questions.

"He's awake," Ty began. "He's lying down but he's moved his head. The field has a little hay and some water but there's no shelter or much shade."

Amy's heart briefly warmed to hear Ty assessing the condition of the colt but then she turned back to business. "Alright," she said. "Do you have anyway to move him?"

"What?" Ty sounded surprised. "What am I supposed to do? I don't have anywhere to keep him."

"Don't you know anyone with a stable you can keep him at until you figure something out. And it doesn't sound like he's in too bad shape but you'll want to get a vet out to see him."

"Can't I just send him out to you?"

"Ty," Amy said slowly, "I'm three thousand miles away."

"Yeah, I know. But you said you had stalls, right? And I'll arrange transportation and get a vet to look at him first."

Amy was silent as she considered her possibilities.

"Come on, Amy," Ty began again. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do. And he's so small and I know you guys can deal with this kind of stuff at Heartland."

"Well…" Amy trailed off.

"I'll beg," Ty grumbled into the phone. Amy could hear the unmistakable sound of Mick howling in laughter in the background.

Any smiled. "On one condition."

Ty was silent for a moment before he sighed. "Name your terms."

"You come to Heartland for the summer."

It was silent for a whole minute as Ty considered his options. He glanced down at the little horse lying on the ground, looking up at him with those big, dark eyes and groaned. "Deal."


End file.
